Thyroid Dry Mouth And Eyes

Does Thyroid Disease Cause Xerostomia

As seen above, xerostomia can occur due to a number of reasons. If you have dry mouth quite frequently, it’s useful to schedule an appointment to see the doctor because, in most cases, it’s a result of some underlying health problem.

But, is thyroid disease one of those underlying health conditions that contribute to xerostomia?

et al. carried out a study whose main objective was to estimate the prevalence of thyroid diseases in subjects with xerostomia. They discovered that more than half of patients with xerostomia also had thyroid disease.

More precisely, 53.2% of people with xerostomia also had thyroid disease, but 38% had thyroid disease alone.

Of patients with thyroid disease, 30.4% had Hashimotos thyroiditis, 10.1% had subacute thyroiditis, 2.5% had subclinical hypothyroidism, and 1.3% had Graves disease.

Who Is At Risk

There are two main thyroid disorders. One is Graves’ disease, where your thyroid makes too many hormones . The other is Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, which causes low levels of hormones .

Both happen when your immune system makes a mistake and attacks your thyroid gland instead of fighting infections. Because certain proteins in your eyes are similar to thyroid tissue, your immune system may attack them, too.

Eye problems are more common for people with Graves’ disease, but some people with Hashimoto’s may also get them.

Thyroid disorders often run in families. If you have dry eyes and a family member with Graves’ or Hashimoto’s disease, you may want to get checked, too. Treating thyroid disorders will help prevent eye damage and other health problems.

How Do Thyroid Disorders Cause Dry Mouth

Among the many effects of thyroid disease is a diminished production and release of saliva from the salivary glands, which results in a dry mouth.2 Thyroid patients who spit, for example, may not experience full replenishment of their saliva even hours later. This is believed to be related to slowed metabolism associated with a hypothyroid disease. Untreated or partially treated hyperthyroidism can cause dry mouth as well, though the reason is not clear. While dry mouth is usually associated with hypothyroidism, research studies show that it can also occur with a variety of thyroid conditions, including those that cause hyperthyroidism.

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How Is Dry Eye Treated When You Have A Thyroid Condition

Treating your thyroid disorder wont be enough to manage your dry eye in most cases. Youll also need to take steps to keep your eyes moisturized.

Generally, dry eye caused by thyroid conditions will last for between 6 months and 2 years. However, you can take steps to manage it during this time. Treatment options include:

• Over-the-counter eye drops. You can use products such as artificial tears or lubricating eye drops to help manage your dry eye. However, its best to avoid products marked red eye relief since those can make dry eye worse.
• Prescription steroid eye drops. A medical professional, such as an ophthalmologist, can prescribe stronger steroid eye drops to help keep your eyes moist. These drops can also reduce any swelling or irritation. However, steroid eye drops are usually only safe to use for a short period of time.
• Prescription oral steroids. Oral steroid medications can sometimes help relieve dry eye and other eye health symptoms. They may be prescribed by the endocrinologist treating your thyroid condition.

A medical professional will likely also recommend at-home changes. Making these changes will reduce dryness and irritation in your eyes. These changes might include:

• quitting smoking, if you smoke
• wearing sunglasses and visors to protect your eyes
• avoiding overly hot and dry places
• resting your eyes often

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.

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Spotlight On Aging: Hypothyroidism In Older People

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.

Recommended Reading: Natural Ways To Improve Thyroid

How Is Hypothyroidism Diagnosed

Your health care provider may use many tools to make a diagnosis:

• A medical history, including asking about your symptoms
• A physical exam
• Imaging tests, such as a thyroid scan, ultrasound, or radioactive iodine uptake test. A radioactive iodine uptake test measures how much radioactive iodine your thyroid takes up from your blood after you swallow a small amount of it.

Hashimotos And Dry Eyes

Likewise, dry eyes and Hashimotos thyroiditis are a painful pair that often happen together. For example, a study compared people with Hashimotos to healthy participants.6 The study found that Hashimotos patients were more likely to suffer from dry eyes. Turn the water works back on by taking some of the eye care botanicals I mention later in this blog post.

Recommended Reading: Best Way To Take Thyroid Medication

Coping With Weight Gain

The symptom linked to hypothyroidism that gets the most attention, but actually has the least overall impact, is weight gain. Its typically fairly minimal, and usually is mostly water weight, Pearce says.

To reduce water weight and feel better in general:

• Stay hydrated. Again, you want to drink lots of water and avoid alcohol and caffeine.
• Eat a varied diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins.
• Adjust calories and add daily physical activity, which will also help boost your energy level while youre getting your thyroid condition under control.

Additional reporting by Jennifer Kelly Geddes.

When To See A Doctor

Dry mouth and eyes arent usually a serious problem on their own, but if they appear with other symptoms or continue despite symptom management, it might be time to see a doctor. They could be the result of isolated problems with your eyes or mouth, or the result of a more serious chronic condition.

Recommended Reading: How To Fix Thyroid Problems Naturally

Can Thyroid Cause Burning Mouth Syndrome

Yes, thyroid disease may cause burning mouth syndrome. Burning mouth syndrome is a severe, painful condition characterized by burning sensations in the tongue, lips, palate , gums, inside of the cheeks, and the back of the mouth or throat. The feeling is often described as a scalding or tingling sensation. It is more common in women than in men. It is found more in women during or after menopause, however, this syndrome is poorly understood, and researches are still going on.

• If a patient has hypothyroid, it may cause a dry mouth called xerostomia, which may present with decreased saliva production.
• In hyperthyroidism, patients burning mouth syndrome is one of the common symptoms.

Regardless of whether burning mouth syndrome is caused by your thyroid directly or as a complication caused by thyroid-related dry mouth, treating the underlying thyroid issue should address burning mouth syndrome.

How Thyroid Disease Causes Dry Mouth

If you have thyroid disease, then chances are good that you also have persistent xerostomia .

In fact, while there are many causes of dry mouth, one study found that about half of people who are diagnosed with xerostomia have thyroid disease.

To compound matters, treatment for thyroid disease can also trigger xerostomia. Dry mouth is not life-threatening, but it can make swallowing difficult, cause bad breath, and even lead to complications like cavities and oral infections.

This article explains the link between thyroid disease and dry mouth. It also points out the specific thyroid conditions that most often lead to dry mouth and how you can ease the discomfort.

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Common Conditions People Have *:

* Approximation only. Some reports may have incomplete information.

Managing Eye Health With Hypothyroidism

Blurry vision and dry eyes can be the result of several conditions unrelated to your thyroid. Although under-active thyroid may play a role in eye symptoms, it is necessary to rule out other causes because appropriate treatment for dry eyes and blurry vision relies on knowing the root cause. Consider having a complete eye exam by an ophthalmologist to help rule out any possible causes related to the eye itself.

Test your vision

Your visual acuity can change as you age. If you are struggling with blurry vision, visit your eye doctor to assess for changes in your vision.

Treat your thyroid

Optimizing your thyroid function is essential for your overall health and wellbeing. Meet with your endocrinologist if you struggle with blurry vision or dry eyes. Checking your thyroid function is critical in determining the appropriate medication and dose for you. Reclaiming control of your thyroid with the right medication may help relieve irritating eye symptoms.

Recommended Reading: What Is An Overactive Thyroid Called

Thyroid Disease: A Checklist Of Skin Hair And Nail Changes

Although your thyroid gland sits deep in your neck, your dermatologist may be the first doctor to notice signs of thyroid disease. Thats because many signs and symptoms of thyroid disease develop on the skin, hair, and nails.

The thyroid gland

The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland in your neck that produces hormones, which play a key role in regulating your heartbeat, breathing, and many other functions.

You, too, may also be able to spot thyroid disease, and thats important. Caught early, treatment can prevent complications. When thyroid disease goes untreated for years, it can lead to a dangerously slow heartbeat, an injury that refuses to heal, or unrelenting pain. You may have gained or lost weight for no apparent reason.

To help you find early signs of thyroid disease on your skin, hair, and nails, heres a checklist.

Tooth Problems That Result From Thyroid Hormone Imbalance

Certain groups of thyroid patients are more vulnerable to certain types of oral problems. For instance, middle-aged women and women in menopause often experience burning sensations on the tongue or lips a condition known as burning mouth sensation. Patients with hypothyroidism, a condition in which the thyroid gland underperforms, experience oral problems like tongue enlargement , gum disease, a long-winding recovery from mouth sores, tooth infection and gum disease. Those with hyperthyroidism or overactive thyroid are more susceptible to dental problems like cavities, osteoporosis in the jaws, rapid tooth growth in children, and others.

Thyroid patients in general are prone to oral problems like dry mouth. Besides dehydration, dry mouth is usually accompanied by other debilitating symptoms like sore mouth, difficulties with swallowing, and even tooth decay.

While treating your thyroid hormonal imbalance can help heal these dental ailments, treating the dental problems separately can help you remedy them much faster. If youre currently experiencing any of these symptoms, its important to book frequent follow-up appointments with our dentists to monitor and treat the development of these symptoms. Well recommend lifestyle changes and over-the-counter medication thatll help you overcome your symptoms.

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Why Do So Many People With Thyroid Conditions Have Dry Eyes

One of the most common symptoms I see in people with both hypothyroid and hyperthyroid conditions is dry eyes. And while this usually isnt the most severe symptom in the majority of patients, its still something which is quite bothersome. Many of these people resort to using eye drops, but very rarely is the cause of the dry eyes addressed.

But why do so many people experience dry eyes? Well, the lacrimal gland is whats responsible for the secretion of tears, and these tears of course help to moisten and lubricate the eye. And there are numerous factors which can affect the lacrimal gland. The meibomian glands can also be involved, as they are a type of sebaceous gland, and dysfunction of these glands can also cause dry eyes.

What Id like to do is discuss some of the more common causes of dry eyes:

Inflammation. It is understood that dry eye syndrome is due to inflammation of the ocular surface and lacrimal gland, neurotrophic deficiency and meibomian gland dysfunction . Autoimmune conditions resulting in proinflammatory cytokines can also result in dry eyes, such as Sjogrens syndrome , and in thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy . Another study I came across showed that dry eyes is caused by an imbalance in the protective immunoregulatory and proinflammatory pathways of the ocular surface . While taking artificial tears can sometimes help with the symptoms, this obviously wont do anything to control the inflammation.

Dry Eye Syndrome and Natural Treatment Methods

Thyroid Disorders And Dry Mouth

Thyroid disease can cause persistent xerostomia . Dry mouth, also known as xerostomia, occurs due to absent or reduced saliva flow. Xerostomia isnt a disease per se, but it is a symptom of a number of medical conditions. . Dry mouth may appear on its own or it may be caused by another autoimmune disease that accompanies thyroid problems. Dry mouth may appear on its own or it may be caused by another autoimmune disease that accompanies thyroid problems. study found that about half of people who are diagnosed with xerostomia have thyroid disease. To compound matters, treatment for thyroid disease can also bring about xerostomia. Dry mouth is not life-threatening, but it, among other things, can make swallowing difficult, cause bad breath, and even lead to complications like cavities and oral infections. Thyroid diseases are accompanied by a wide range of symptoms, and in this article, were going to explore whether conditions affecting the thyroid gland could also cause dry mouth.

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S Of Treatment And Control Of Dry Mouth

Besides getting the right treatment for your thyroid disease , there are some other approaches to easing a dry mouth. Often, using these simple strategies along with your thyroid treatment can help you feel more comfortable and prevent the complications of dry mouth.

• Avoid foods that exacerbate dry mouth, such as salty foods and dry meats.
• Use saliva substitutes, such as SalivaMAX.
• Eat sugar-free saliva stimulants, such as tart gums and candies.
• Drink lots of fluid to keep your mouth moist.
• Put a humidifier in your bedroom.
• Undergo regular preventive dental care .
• Avoid tobacco, alcohol, carbonated beverages, juices, and caffeine, all of which may dry out the mouth.

Saliva And Xerostomia In Thyroid Disease Treatment

Thyroid disease treatment and xerostomia are linked. Thyroid disease is frequently treated using radiation with a radioactive iodine isotope. This radiation treatment may have the unwanted side effect of dry mouth or xerostomia. Although it is a largely effective treatment, it may damage the salivary glands. The result is an uncomfortable feeling of dry mouth due to low or no saliva in the mouth. Low saliva may in turn cause complications in the gums, teeth, and general reduction in oral health and quality of life. The study reviewed in this blog post is focused on the importance of treating xerostomia.

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How Will Sjgren’s Syndrome Affect Me

Though the symptoms can be uncomfortable and last quite a long time, you should be able to lead the life you want if the condition is treated properly. For most people, the condition only affects the tear and saliva glands, but some people may experience other symptoms, such as fatigue and joint inflammation.

If dryness of the eyes isnt treated, the front of your eye could become damaged and cause permanent sight problems. Seeing an optician regularly and using treatments for dry eyes can help stop this.

People with Sjögrens syndrome might be more likely to develop:

• hypothyroidism, when the thyroid gland is underactive
• Raynauds phenomenon, which causes the fingers to feel cold and turn blue
• inflamed blood vessels, known as vasculitis, which can cause reduced blood flow
• loss of feeling in the hands and feet, known as peripheral neuropathy
• IBS, causing tummy pain, diarrhoea and constipation
• kidney problems