Swollen Eyes

[jeff12]

My husband has Type 1 Diabetes and just recently had his thyroid removed after being diagnosed with Graves disease. Did the thyroid problem cause his eyes to swell and should we give the healing process time before we agree to surgery ( decompression of the eye ) ?  It's been about 4 weeks since the thyroid surgery. We've been told the swelling will eventually go away with time.

[tm514]

With Graves Eye Disease, the autoimmune response (antibodies) attacks the muscles behind the eyes, causing fat to be deposited in the muscles.  When enough fat builds up, there is no place for the eye to go except out the front of the socket, because the rest of the eyeball is surrounded by the bony orbit.  Sometimes the pressure is so great, the muscles press on the optic nerve which causes vision problems (and needs to be treated right away), sometimes the fat deposits cause the muscles to pull the eye out of alignment, causing double vision.

Orbital decompression removes some of the orbital wall (bony decompression) or some of the fat (fat decompression), or both.  Often additional surgeries are needed to correct double vision and eyelid retraction (where the upper and/or lower lids pull back due to the muscle problems and expose more of the white of the eye than normal).

There are blood tests to see if a person has the antibodies that causes Graves Eye Diseas (also called Throid eye diseas or thyrotoxic exophthalmos).  Also, a CT scan will show how involved the eye muscles are.  Usually, a surgeon will not do orbital decompression surgery until the thyroid levels are stable (if thyroid problems are present).  

I hope your husband just is having after effects of the cataract surgery or the glaucoma problems.  I don't have any experience with either of those conditions.  I have dealt with Graves and Graves Eye disease for about 3 years now, but am on the road back to "normal".  Good luck to you and your husband.

[jeff12]

Thank you for your time and information.

[GravesLady]

Personally, I have no experience in Glaucoma and Cataract.

You might go to the Doctor Thyroid Forum and ask Dr. Lupo at http://www.medhelp.org/forums/show/120      OR
at left of page almost top, under "Thyroid Disorders" in red click on "thyroid" it will take you to the forum.

OR

Go to the Medical and Health list of Doctor-to-Patient or  Patient to Patient Forums at: http://www.medhelp.org/forums.htm and chose a forum that fits your condition and/or needs.

If you have posted more than one post per the sites rules for doctors forums, you probably won't get answered.  Or if the forum is full and not taking any more questions for the day, you can try another day.

Good luck and Best of health!

[jeff12]

Would I be correct in assuming that Glaucoma is the cause for the bulging eyes ? I'm trying to make sure the decompression of the eye will take care of the vision loss and the bulging eyes, or do we need to look into correcting the Glaucoma ?  We are puzzled why the eyes started bulging almost immediately after cataract surgery.  Could this have triggered something ? You probably figured out that my husband has eye issues: Glaucoma and Cataract. He's had the cataract removed from the left eye .

[GravesLady]

Normally eye swelling happens after surgery or RAI due to going into hypothyroid mode. It usually subsides.  

Graves' disease does not cause eye disease.  Its antibodies that attack the eyes that is the cause. Different antibodies than Graves' antibodies.  Due to being different antibodies, none of the treatment options will save us from the eye disease if we are going to get it, as well as Hashi, Armour and other autoimmun people.