Our complex bodies work amazing — until they don’t. Diseases and illnesses create a cascade
of events, especially Thyroid Eye Disease (TED). Your thyroid’s a special gland responsible
for numerous functions including hormones and metabolism.
The health of your thyroid has a direct impact on your eye health too. Thyroid Eye Disease (TED) causes inflammation in various parts of the eye and leads to uncomfortable symptoms.
When you suffer from medical conditions like this, you want a compassionate eye doctor near Little Silver or Red Bank to aid in managing your condition and give you alternative options.
Integrative Vision’s going into detail about TED, how different issues with your thyroid affect your eyes, and ways to naturally support your thyroid health.
How Does Thyroid Eye Disease (TED) Affect My Vision?
Your thyroid’s essential for many processes in your body, like regulating hormones, blood pressure, and metabolism. Thyroid Eye Disease often occurs from an autoimmune condition affecting your thyroid, eyes, and skin.
Parts of your eye become inflamed due to your thyroid not functioning correctly. Symptoms can range from mild to severe, and depend on several factors.
Thyroid Eye Disease Symptoms:
- Pain
- Dry Eye
- Gritty Sensation
- Watery Eyes
- Double Vision
- Sensitivity to Light
- Bulging Eyes (Proptosis)
Experiencing any level of these symptoms interferes with your daily life. When you have TED, it’s helpful to also have a caring eye doctor, like Dr. Gioia here at Integrative Vision. It’s your eyesight and quality of life — and we want the best for our patients.
Let’s look into two common thyroid conditions and what they mean for your eyes.
2 Specific Thyroid Eye Disease Conditions Impacting Your Eyesight
1. Hyperthyroidism (Graves Disease)
When your own body attacks itself, it’s classified as an autoimmune condition, like Graves Disease. It occurs when you have an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism). This leads to the production of too many hormones, causing inflammation of your extraocular muscles and tissues.
When it comes to your eyes and vision, unfortunately, Graves Disease leads to a secondary complication called Graves Ophthalmopathy (GO). More than 1 and 3 people with Graves Disease will develop GO. This causes all the above symptoms and can lead to severe discomfort without proper management.
If you have Graves Disease and have been suffering, please set up an eye exam with us to get you some relief!
2. Hypothyroidism or (Hashimoto’s Disease)
Our bodies rely on a delicate balance to make everything run smoothly. When your thyroid’s not producing what it should, it’s called hypothyroidism. Hashimoto’s disease encompasses one type of hypothyroidism, which is actually an autoimmune condition.
Women are 4 to 10 times more likely to develop this disease compared to men. One of the biggest issues it causes? Severe dry eye. You can read more about dry eye from us here.
It’s true, a simple standard treatment is eye drops for comfort. At Integrative Vision, we give you holistic solutions too. Let’s examine how certain foods and supplements can support your thyroid.
How To Support Your Thyroid Through Your Diet
When you have Thyroid Eye Disease, it’s nice to understand holistic options to help.
As one of the only functional medicine eye doctors in the nation, Dr. Gioia has additional
education on how certain foods support your TED eye symptoms.
Let’s dive into 3 dietary factors involved with TED.
Gluten-Free Diet
The molecular structure of gluten closely resembles that of your thyroid gland. This means gluten triggers your immune system when you eat it in foods.
Don’t shoot the messenger. We know the struggle a gluten-free diet can bring. But when you’re able to naturally support your thyroid, we consider it a win. Why does limiting gluten help?
A study looking into a 6 month trial of a gluten-free diet for women with Hashimoto’s disease found that it reduced thyroid antibody tiers (meaning less reaction from your immune system causing harm to your thyroid). It also showed an increase in vitamin D levels — another win for our eyes!
Some of our favorite gluten-free foods:
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Beans
- Nuts
- Legumes
All should be in their natural state. Think fewer processed foods and more whole ones.
Iodine Support
Iodine plays a crucial role in your thyroid health by regulating how many hormones you’re producing. Your thyroid needs iodine to produce the right hormones.
Believe it or not, iodine deficiency causes hypothyroidism. This can even lead to misdiagnosis or complications in getting a proper diagnosis.
Best sources for iodine:
- “Iodized” Salt
- Seaweed
- Fish & Shellfish
- Dairy
- Eggs
Notice a trend here? You won’t find the healthiest foods in the aisles at the grocery store in boxes and bags. Think fresh, whole foods when supporting your body.
Selenium
Selenium’s a trace element found in our diet and the soil. It contains many antioxidant properties your thyroid uses to carry out a lot of processes and even protects our DNA! The thing is: we don’t need a lot of it. The recommended dietary allowance is 55 micrograms daily and 60-70 for pregnant or lactating women.
You know what else?
The thyroid holds the most concentration of Selenium for your body — it’s that important!
Big sources of Selenium:
- Brazil Nuts
- Finned Fish
- Shellfish
- Beef
- Beans
Eating healthy truly doesn’t have to be boring. And when you’re fueling your body with what it needs, it’s a win!
Integrative Vision Cares For Your Eye Health When You Have Thyroid Issues
Thyroid Eye Disease can cause serious discomfort for your eyes and interfere with your vision. With Integrative Vision on your side, you’ll be on the road to healing and enjoying all Shrewsbury has to offer.
We provide more than standard eye exams because our founder’s passionate about nutritional and functional medicine. She’s certified in both, which supports her patients in all areas of health, including Thyroid Eye Disease.
Our Eye Exam PlusTM gives you all the benefits of an additional 25-30 minute consultation with Dr. Gioia. She goes over specific nutritional and supplement guides related to Thyroid Eye Disease and any other conditions you may have.
She also created the SeeHealthTM functional nutritional program to optimize your eye health, vision, and your entire overall well-being. When your body’s fueled with what it needs, it’s truly amazing how you feel. This program includes health coaching for 6 months! Sometimes we need to have accountability for our health journey.
Don’t suffer from symptoms caused by Thyroid Eye Disease. Get the exceptional eye care you deserve!
