A characteristic sign that the thyroid gland is malfunctioning. It appears in the eyes

Do you have the impression that your eyes have become slightly bulging? Or maybe you have problems with closing the eyelids? If you have bulky eyes, it’s time to see an endocrinologist – it’s a common symptom of thyroid disease.

Exophthalmos in the course of some thyroid diseases is a common and quite characteristic symptom. Contrary to appearances, orbitopathy is not only an aesthetic problem, but a serious disease that requires treatment. If you have noticed its symptoms, do not hesitate – this is a problem that can be extremely harmful to the health of your eyes and significantly worsen your vision.

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What is proptosis of the eyes (thyroid rotopathy)

This is a fairly common symptom in some thyroid diseases. Thyroid orbitopathy, or exophthalmia, is caused by a change in the metabolism of the tissues of the orbit and the muscles that move the eyeball. The effect is to increase their volume and push the eyeballs forward. The pressing tissue can hardly fit into the eye socket, causing axial exophthalmos.

Thyroid orbitopathy most often occurs in the course of hyperthyroidism, Graves’ disease, autoimmune thyroiditis, but it can also occur in the presence of hypothyroidism.

The causes of exophthalmos are not fully known. According to doctors, thyroid disorders are caused by a hormonal imbalance on the pituitary-thyroid axis, which causes the already mentioned hypertrophy of the orbital tissues.

Risk factors:

1. thyroid diseases – mainly hyperthyroidism (as much as 90% of cases),
2. age over 40.

Further part below the video.

How common isopenosis?

Exophthalmos is caused by diseases of the thyroid gland 7-10 times more common in women. As a rule, the disease affects people over 40, suffering from hyperthyroidism – it is as much as 90 percent. diagnosed cases. According to various statistics, orbitopathy affects from 15 to 35 percent people with thyroid disorders.

Read also: Every fifth Pole has or has had thyroid disorders. “This disease destroys the body”

Exophthalmos – symptoms and tests

In thyroid orbitopathy, there is usually symmetrical, axial exophthalmia. However, it sometimes happens that the problem occurs unilaterally, involving only one of the eye sockets. In addition to the easy, visual identification of exophthalmos, the disease also includes other symptoms:

1. feeling of tightness of the eyelids,
2. redness
3. itch,
4. photophobia,
5. swelling of the eyelids,
6. redness of the conjunctiva,
7. the sensation of a foreign body in the eye.

Exopening of the eyes is not only an aesthetic problem and is associated with the consequences of the displacement of the eyeballs. Most often it causes: reduced blinking frequency, difficulty closing the eyelids and resulting dry eyes, reduced eye movement.

Exophthalmos – what kind of tests should be performed?

Diagnostics of a patient with orbitopathy begins with a referral to an ophthalmologist. Only after the ophthalmic causes have been ruled out, the patient is referred to a further path, e.g. to an endocrinologist. As a standard, the patient should be examined by an ophthalmologist and visual field examination should be performed.

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In further diagnostics, the concentration of thyroid hormone levels is measured – the concentration of thyroid hormones (TSH, selective TSH) and hormones produced by the thyroid gland (T3, T4,).

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In the case of exophthalmia, other, potentially serious diseases, including a brain tumor, should also be ruled out. Imaging diagnostics is helpful, including:

1. Ultrasound of eye sockets,
2. computed tomography of the head.

In any case of thyroid orbitopathy, medical help is required – both an endocrinologist and an ophthalmologist. In the case of slight exophthalmos, periodic visual acuity checks, the use of artificial tears and prophylaxis are sufficient. It is recommended to keep high humidity indoors and to sleep with the head held higher.

An immediate medical visit to an ophthalmologist requires an emergency in which:

1. pain ailments of the orbit appear,
2. there is regurgitation of the eyelids,
3. bulging eyes grows larger,
4. vision deteriorates.

Treatment of proptosis

Depending on the severity of the symptoms, different methods of treatment are used, but in each case a patient with proptosis should be under the care of specialists.

If the cornea is damaged as a result of regurgitation of the eyelids, it is recommended to constantly administer artificial tear preparations and moisturizing eye ointments. Protective dressings are recommended for the night.

In the event of the appearance of visual disturbances and the progression of orbitopathy, more radical treatment is required, planned in cooperation with an ophthalmologist and an endocrinologist. Oral corticosteroids are the most commonly used therapy.

In extreme cases, surgical decompression of the eye sockets is recommended in order to re-create an appropriate space in the eye socket and reduce the pressure on the eyeball and the optic nerve.

Normalization of thyroid function usually reduces the symptoms of exophthalmos in most patients.

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