Just Say No to Abuse Declaring War on Terrorism. Thyroid Eye Disease or TED is one of the clinical names for the problem. It is thought to be the result of the same autoimmune antibodies that attack the thyroid also attacking the soft tissues of the eye.
Symptoms can range from minimal to severe.
Like thyroid disease it is more common in women, however, the symptoms are usually more severe in men and older persons. Like so much else with autoimmune thyroid disease, there are no absolutes. While TED is associated with Graves disease, it can also occur in individuals with Hashimotos thyroiditis and low to normal thyroid levels. TED can occur simultaneously with the diagnosis of thyroid disease or even months or years after treatment of the underlying disease. Inflammation and swelling of one or more of the four small muscles that move the eye may result in loss of muscle function causing eye pain and double vision.