Sugar Land TX Graves Disease Eyes

Sugar Land TX Graves disease eyes can become a serious issue if not taken care of. In severe cases, although rare, there is a potential to lose sight permanently. Only about 10 to 20 percent of people have permanent blindness from Graves’ eye disease. Graves’ disease, or autoimmune thyroid disease, is a very complex autoimmune disease that usually results in your body’s immune system attacking its own tissues.

It is essential not to confuse Graves’ disease with Graves’ eye disease. While the two can be related, they can also be 2 separate problems. Graves’ eye disease, or Thyroid Eye Disease, occurs when your immune system starts attacking the tissues around the eyes. Sometimes, the immune system attacks both the orbital tissues and thyroid. This can lead to a whole whirlwind of chaos in the body and requires care by multiple specialists.

The reason Graves’ disease occurs in the eyes is that the connective tissue around the eyes appears to have similar proteins in that of the thyroid gland. So, the proteins cross-react, causing the tissues around the eyes to become inflamed with swelling and scarring. Thyroid eye disease can cause double vision and vision loss.  However, it can also be severely disfiguring, as it can truly make your eyes look abnormal.

There are numerous symptoms patients can look for to see if they do have thyroid eye disease. If you have more one or more of these symptoms, then we recommend you receive medical advice from a trusted doctor.

• Bulging eyes, “Bug-eyes”
• Pain and redness around the eyes
• Swelling around the eyes
• Dry or itchy eyes

If you leave these symptoms unchecked, then swelling can cause further complications such as headaches, pain, double vision, and decreased vision. Orbital tissue can swell and compress the optic nerve, thus causing vision loss. The risk of permanent blindness is why it is very important consult with your doctor urgently.

TED Treatment Options

There are several thyroid eye disease treatment options to choose from. As mentioned before, Graves’ disease is very complex. It usually involves steroids, other immunosuppressive medications, hormone control, and often reconstructive surgery. We work closely with endocrinologists and primary care doctors to make sure you get the best possible care so you can start feeling better. With that said, all cases are unique and will require different medical approaches.

Patients with mild eye effects can be treated with lubrication, like artificial tears and ointments applied at night. This helps with dry eyes caused by changes in the eyelids. Steroids, like prednisone, are also commonly used to treat the early signs of redness, swelling, and inflammation around the eyes. However, further interventions may need to be applied in more severe cases.

Surgical Reconstruction for Thyroid Eye Disease

Aforementioned, reconstructive surgery is often necessary. Extreme swelling can lead to double vision, caused by enlargement of the eye muscles and fat around the eyes.  This also causes the eyes to pop out or bulge out, making a person look “bug-eyed”. Surgery for these issues involves an orbital decompression. This surgery involved removing the bone from between the eye and sinuses to make room for swollen tissue. This procedure is very delicate and requires a specialist in oculoplastic surgery.

If patients continue to have inflammation despite medical management and surgery, then radiation is an option. However, radiation is the last resort method and is not recommended to be an early option. Radiation can reduce swelling, inflammation, and double vision. Unfortunately, the risk factors are high, with side effects usually outweighing the benefits. Some side effects of radiation include an increased risk of causing tumors to form, which is the last thing anyone wants.

Furthermore, there are specialized medical centers that offer surgical decompression. The best option to treat this disease is to stabilize the immune system early before permanent damage is done. Once the inflammation is stabilized, procedures are performed to reduce the effects of the tissue changes around the eyes. Opposite of upper and lower eyelid surgery, the eyelids may need to be relaxed. Along with orbital decompression, sometimes we need to remove fat as well.

Upper and Lower Eyelid Lifts

Upper and lower eyelid lifts are the third most common cosmetic procedure in the United States. They fall behind breast augmentation and rhinoplasty. While we treat thyroid eye disease and other reconstructive cases, we also provide eye lifts and other cosmetic procedures. Plastic Eye Surgery Associates are experts in all aspects of oculoplastic surgery, including forehead lifts, cosmetic injections, facelifts, and eye bag removal surgery.

We are able to remove excess skin and resculpt soft tissue around the eyes to make you have a natural look with improved aesthetics. For many, patients want to look younger or less tired. The results of eye plastic surgery procedures may do that for you. Schedule a consultation with Plastic Eye Surgery Associates, and we’ll tailor a surgical plan to fit your individual goals and needs.

Again, Thyroid Eye Disease (Graves’ disease) can cause serious vision problems like double vision and dry eyes. However, patients with Graves’ disease also have bulging eyes and other facial changes that make them almost unrecognizable. We are experts in this kind of reconstruction and can reduce those terrible changes of eyelid retraction as well as swelling and inflammation around the eyes.

Initial Consult at Plastic Eye Surgery Associates

When we perform our initial evaluation, we make sure that we understand your full disease history. We know everyone has different facial features, and we strive to recognize those as well. Other details we focus on during a consultation include gender, age, genetics, and previous surgery because all of these can really affect how we approach a procedure.

If any of these traits are overlooked, then complications can occur along with suboptimal results. We excel at giving you the best surgical results possible because we take into account all of your unique features. Feel free to ask us any questions when you come in for a consultation. Your doctor and staff are dedicated to making sure you feel comfortable and understand all of the medical jargon that may seem confusing.  We’re here for you.

Fix Your Sugar Land TX Graves’ Disease Eyes Today

If you have suffered from the symptoms of Graves’ eye disease (Thyroid Eye Disease), then contact us today. We can help you treat those terrible changes with corrective surgery and orbital decompression. Don’t lose vision. Don’t look like someone you don’t even recognize. Trust our oculoplastic surgeons to treat this very complicated disease.

Corrective procedures are great for those looking to save vision and look better. Furthermore, upper and lower eyelifts are also options for improving your look. Eyelifts are common among men and women because they are relatively affordable with little downtime afterward. You will be able to go home the same day as your surgery, which makes it an excellent option for busy people with a tight schedule.

You can learn more about our practice by visiting our Houston office location page. We offer various oculoplastic and reconstructive procedures by the best doctors in the plastic eye surgery field. You may also call us at (713) 795-0705 to schedule a consultation. There is no need for you to suffer from Thyroid Eye Disease any longer. Contact the Plastic Eyes Associates for Sugar Land TX Graves disease eyes.

Fun Facts about Sugar Land

• Town Square covers 1.2 acres providing a public plaza for community-wide events and gatherings.
• Sugar Land has more than 560 acres of developed parkland.
• The Sugar Land Town Square used the 3D projection technology used in the 2010 Olympics on New Year’s Eve 2009.
• Learn more about Sugar Land by visiting here.