What Causes Dry Eyes
Many different factors contribute to dry eye, from environmental issues to underlying health problems. This list includes a few of the possible causes:
- Meibomian gland dysfunction: Leads to lack of oil in your tears
- Medications: Many medications, including antihistamines and decongestants
- Age: Dry eye is more common after the age of 50 years
- Inflammatory disorders: Rosacea and blepharitis affect meibomian glands
- Autoimmune disorders: Rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, thyroid disorders, and lupus
- Hormonal changes: Low estrogen, especially after menopause, affect meibomian gland function
- Environmental irritants: Wind, pollen, dry air, and smoke
- Blinking less often: Excessive screen time, reading, watching television, and driving
What Causes Thyroid Eye Disease
The exact cause of thyroid eye disease is not known but it is thought to be caused by an abnormal immune response that is targeted at the healthy tissues of the eye. This leads to the eyes becoming sore, watery, swollen and red. This inflammation is directed against several different parts of the eyes, including the muscle and fat behind the eyes. This results in the eyes becoming prominent or giving an appearance of a permanent stare. Similar inflammation of the muscles that move the eye can result in the muscles becoming stiff. As a result, the eyes do not move together, causing double vision. In severe cases of stiffness, squinting may result.
The Importance Of Tears
We usually only notice our tears when we cry, but our eyes are always covered by a thin layer of tears, known as a tear film.
Tears are made up of a mix of water, proteins, fats, mucus and infection-fighting cells. Tears serve several important functions. They:
- lubricate the eye
Saliva also serves several important functions, including:
- keeping the mouth and throat naturally lubricated
- aiding digestion by moistening food and containing enzymes that can break down certain starches
- acting as a natural disinfectant
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What Are The Longer
With the correct treatment, thyroid eye disease can be well managed and patients can live full and active lives. Most of the effects of the thyroid eye disease will settle with time and when thyroid function is stabilised. Patients taking carbimazole tablets to treat hyperthyroidism may need to take them daily for life, although definitive treatment of the overactive thyroid gland with radioiodine or surgery is generally preferred, once the eye disease has settled down. Regular blood tests should be carried out to monitor thyroid hormone levels and the dose of carbimazole adjusted accordingly. However, there are other treatment options such as thyroidectomy or radioiodine treatment that can be considered once the eye disease has settled down.
The changes in the physical appearance of the eyes can have a psychological effect on the individual, causing low self-esteem. The long-term consequences of the disease, even after the thyroid has settled down, may be difficult to accept. Some patients may have a permanent change to their appearance, which may require surgery. Very rarely, there is a permanent loss of vision this can happen if the disease is left untreated at the sight-threatening stage.
Patients should stop smoking as this is known to aggravate the condition. Sunglasses may be necessary even when indoors. If double vision is not corrected, driving will be dangerous. Patients should discuss any concerns with their doctor.
Getting Potent Products On Your Eyelids
If you use retinol or chemical exfoliant serums of any kind, avoid the eyelid and under the eyes to prevent dryness and irritation.
Even if you don’t think you’re spreading the product where it shouldn’t go, you might not be washing your hands after applying the serum and before applying your moisturizer or eye cream.
A caveat: Some retinols or serums are formulated for the eye area specificallythose are usually fine, although you will likely want to proceed with caution if you have sensitive lids.
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How Can Ted Be Managed During The Active Stage
During the active stage of TED, treatments are aimed at improving your symptoms and protecting your eyes while the active stage of the condition runs its course. Symptoms can fluctuate during the active stage which can last months or a couple of years.
Most commonly, during the active stage, treatment involves treating dry eyes or double vision. Symptoms of dry eye can be managed with artificial tear eye drops, and double vision may be managed with prisms or occlusion . For most people, this is all the treatment they will need at this stage and the condition wont get any more advanced than this.
Much less commonly, where your vision is at risk, your ophthalmologist may recommend immunosuppressant treatment, usually steroids, to help reduce the inflammation. Orbital radiotherapy treatment may also be considered to treat the tissues around the eyeball and prevent optic nerve damage. The earlier these treatments can be given, the more they can help prevent the condition from progressing and protect your sight. In very severe cases, emergency orbital decompression surgery may be needed this operation involves removing some of the bone and/or fat in your eye socket to provide more room for the swollen muscles, and to take the pressure off the optic nerve. All these treatments aim to avoid permanent damage to your optic nerve. Very few people have TED that progresses to a stage where these treatments are needed.
A Note From Paloma Health
Our team of doctors and nutritionists want you to feel your absolute best. Your thyroid plays a role in every system in your body, including your eyes. However, many other medical conditions may cause dry eyes and blurry vision. If you have trouble with your eyes, reach out to your endocrinologist to make sure your thyroid is in check.
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Why Are Tears So Important For Healthy Eyes
Every time you blink, tears flow across the cornea, the clear, dome-shaped structure covering your eye. After you blink, the tear film starts to thin, but it should maintain a moisturizing cover over your eyes until the next time you blink, when a thicker tear film is reestablished.
Tears are important for healthy eyes because they:
- Lubricate the cornea to prevent dryness
- Deliver oxygen and nutrients that nourish your eyes
- Enable proper vision by helping focus light
- Prevent infection with an antibacterial enzyme
- Protect your eyes by removing dirt and irritants
- Promote healing in a damaged eye
What Are Dry Eyes
Dry eyes develop when theres a problem with your natural tears. You may not produce enough tears or they may evaporate too quickly. Dry eyes also occur when your tears dont contain the right amount of each essential component.
Tears are more than just water they contain mucus, fatty oils, and numerous proteins and other beneficial substances. Your tears are made up of three layers, which are collectively known as the tear film.
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Noticeable Symptoms Of Thyroid Issues On The Skin
According to Dr. Zenhausern, some of the most common skin symptoms and signs associated with thyroid conditions such as hypothyroidism are dry itchy skin, itchy flaking of the scalp, dry cracked heels paleness of the skin. In addition, Dr. Zenhausern says its not uncommon to experience dry, frizzy hair, thinning of the hair and loss of eyelashes. She also says loss of the outer-third of the eyebrows is a huge sign that you should get your thyroid levels checked.
How Many Of These Signs And Symptoms Do You Have
Skin
Dry, pale, and cool skin Moist, velvety, and warm skin like a babys Dry skin with deep cracks and scale Deep, noticeable lines on your palms and soles Yellowish-orange color on your palms and soles Doughy and swollen face, especially on your eyelids, lips, and tongue Widening nose Sweating less than before Goiter Protruding eyes Flushing on your face and red palms Darker skin in the creases of your palms, on your gums, or elsewhere in your mouth Rashes, especially in the creases of your skin Painless lumps and patches of scaly, discolored skin, and the affected skin feels hard and waxy Reddish spots on the skin that come and go
Protruding eyes
When eyes protrude, its often a sign of thyroid disease.
Painless lumps and patches of scaly skin feel hard and waxy
Lumps on discolored skin that feel hard and waxy can be a sign of thyroid disease.
Hair
Thinning eyebrows on the outer edge Coarse, dull, dry, and brittle hair that breaks easily Soft and fine hair with lots of shedding Thinning hair or balding patches Growing more slowly Dry, itchy scalp and dandruff Less hair on your legs, arms, and other areas
Nails
Thick, dry, and brittle with visible ridges Soft, shiny, and easily crumble Growing more slowly Peel, crumble, or break easily Lift up Curved with swollen fingertip and thickening skin above the nail
Curved nails with swollen fingertip
Itch
Itchy skin without a rash Untreatable and itchy hives
Existing skin disease
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When To Seek Professional Treatment
If nothing is helping with the dryness around your eyes, see your healthcare provider or a dermatologist. If you notice anything out of the ordinary with your eyes or vision or start having any problems with your eyes, see your healthcare provider as soon as possible. Treatment may be necessary to avoid any eye or vision problems.
When Should You Call A Doctor
If your dry lids are getting worse or are starting to affect your daily activities, its time to talk with a medical pro. Your doctor or dermatologist can determine if an underlying condition like atopic dermatitis, contact dermatitis, or blepharitis is at play.
Also, its a good idea to give your doc a call, about:
- at-home or OTC remedies that arent working
- dryness thats been going on for a while
- symptoms getting worse
- new symptoms arising
- suspicions of larger health concerns
They can also offer prescription treatment options and work with you to set a care plan based on your skin needs.
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Dry Blurry Eyes And Hypothyroidism
- Thyroid function and eye health
- Common eye symptoms in thyroid dysfunction
- Managing eye health with hypothyroidism
Eye problems are not commonly associated with hypothyroidism, an underactive thyroid. However, if you have Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, you may be at higher risk for eye disease. Hashimoto’s thyroiditis is an autoimmune condition that damages the thyroid gland. According to the American Thyroid Association, six-percent of people with Hashimoto’s have eye disease related to their thyroid functioning.
Eye conditions related to the thyroid are more common with Graves’ disease, an autoimmune condition causing hyperthyroidism than they are with Hashimoto’s. Indeed, one of the hallmark symptoms of Graves’ disease is bulging eyes. While thyroid-associated eye disease may get overlooked in people with Hashimoto’s, studies find that both hyper- and hypothyroid autoimmune processes can cause uncomfortable eye symptoms.
What Is Sjgrens Syndrome
Sjögrens syndrome is an autoimmune condition. This means that the immune system, which is the bodys natural self-defence system, gets confused and starts to attack your bodys healthy tissues.
Inflammation is your bodys normal reaction to injury or infection. You might notice inflammation if you have a cut or a wound. It causes the affected area to hurt and turn red. It may also become hot, as fluid rushes to the area and causes swelling.
The inflammation seen in Sjögrens syndrome particularly affects the glands in your body that produce tears and saliva. This causes your eyes and mouth to become dry. Other parts of the body can also be affected, leading to dryness of the:
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Filling In Patchy Sparse Eyebrow Hair
Another physical change related to hypothyroidism involves the eyebrows both overall thinning and losing all the hair in the outer third of the brows.
Makeup can help here: Use a brow pencil in a shade that matches your natural hair color to fill out and extend your brow line, drawing individual hairs with the pencils sharp point.
Most beauty stores sell eyebrow kits containing a variety of products and tools that can create a natural look.
What Is Thyroid Eye Disease
Thyroid eye disease is an autoimmune condition affecting the eyes that is associated with Graves disease. Graves disease is an autoimmune thyroid condition where the bodys immune system produces auto-antibodies that activate receptors in the thyroid gland causing it to produce too much thyroid hormone . This immune response against the thyroid gland can sometimes also affect the eyes as in thyroid eye disease.
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Sex Fertility And Pregnancy
The condition doesnt affect fertility in men or women. However, there may be a higher risk of miscarriage in women who have anti-Ro or anti-La antibodies. Your doctor might suggest low-dose aspirin in the early stages of pregnancy to reduce this risk.
There arent usually any problems during or after pregnancy, and you may be able to carry on with some treatments, such as hydroxychloroquine, during pregnancy.
However, a very small number of women may pass anti-Ro or anti-La antibodies on to their baby during pregnancy. The baby could then develop symptoms, such as rashes and abnormal blood tests after birth.
These will clear up once the mothers antibodies have been lost from the babys blood. This can take anything from a couple of weeks to a few months.
In some cases, the antibodies affect the babys heart, causing it to beat slowly. If you have these antibodies, you should tell your obstetrician, as your babys heartbeat will need additional monitoring in the womb.
What Is Causing My Eyelids To Be Dry
Dry, itchy eyelids can be caused by a variety of underlying problems. Some of these may be major, such as Sjogrens syndrome. Other common causes include:
- Hair Dye containing the ingredient p-Phenylenediamine
- Eyelash Curlers
- Underlying Skin Conditions
Underlying Conditions that can dry eyelids include:
- Eyelid Dermatitis, which is known to manifest itself as an allergic reaction to something that comes into direct contact with ones eyelids.
- Atopic Dermatitis , which is the result of airborne allergens.
- Eborrheic Dermatitis, which happens when the skin reacts to its own natural oils and bacteria.
- Blepharitis, a chronic inflammation of the eyelids caused by excess bacteria.
Common cosmetic ingredients that can cause dry eyelids include:
- Preservatives such as parabens, pheny mercuric acetate, imidazolidinyl urea, quaternium-15, and potassium sorbate
- Antioxidants such as butylated hydroxyanisole, butylated hydroxytoluene and di-tert-butyl-hydroquinone
- Resins such as colophony
- Pearlescent additives such as bismuth oxychloride
- Emollients such as lanolin and propylene glycol
- Pigment contaminants such as nickel
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How Common Is Thyroid Eye Disease
About one in four patients with Graves disease will have thyroid eye disease. It does not occur with other causes of an overactive thyroid .
Thyroid eye disease is almost five times more common in women than men. However, the disease is often more severe in men. In 90% of people it is associated with an overactive gland, in which case it may be diagnosed before, after, or at the time of diagnosis of Graves disease. In 5% of people it is associated with an underactive thyroid gland and 5% of people affected do not have any thyroid problems. Thyroid eye disease is seven times more likely to occur in smokers.
Causes Of Dry Eyelids
The skin around your eyes is very thin and more sensitive than the skin on the other parts of your body. So, itâs more prone to irritation. Everything from aging to allergens in the environment can make it dry and flaky.
Some common culprits include:
Aging. As you get older, your skin loses moisture and becomes drier. You also lose fat below your skin that’s around your eyes. That makes that area extra fragile and more likely to flake and be irritated.
Contact dermatitis. The skin around your eyelids can become dry, red, and itchy when something triggers a reaction. It might be an irritating substance that comes in contact with your skin or an allergic reaction. Some common irritants include:
- Skin care or hair products
You can spread the irritant to your eyelids by accident when you touch the trigger, then rub or touch near your eyes. For example, you may get dry, itchy skin after touching your eyes with painted nails. The trigger could be nail polish or polish remover.
Lifestyle choices. Your skin could be dry because of the weather where you live. Skin is usually driest in cold weather. Itâs also dry when there’s little humidity — either in the climate or in the air your home. Skin also can dry out when you use a lot of hot water.
Your eyelids can also be dry and flaky because of more serious causes. They can include:
Eczema usually happens in flares. Skin can return to normal between episodes.
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Direct Thyroid Hormone Action On Skin Tissues
Direct thyroid hormone action on skin is mediated through the thyroid hormone receptor . All three widely recognized thyroid hormone binding isoforms of TR have been identified in skin tissues.25 TRs have been detected in epidermal keratinocytes, skin fibroblasts, hair arrector pili muscle cells, other smooth muscle cells, sebaceous gland cells, vascular endothelial cells, Schwann cells, and a number of cell types that make up the hair follicle. In addition, several thyroid hormone responsive genes have been identified in skin. More recently, investigators have identified elements of the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid hormone axis in human skin.68