Our eyeballs rest in a bony space known as the orbit, which contains fat, nerves and muscle that help our eyeballs move. As a result of thyroid eye disease, muscles can become larger and fat can expand. Your eye may protrude, and continued compression can impact your optic nerve.
Symptoms of Thyroid Eye Disease
- Exophthalmos, also known as proptosis, means protrusion of the eyeball. A Hertel’s tool is used to measure the amount of proptosis.
- Lagopthalmos means that the eyelid cannot completely close, leaving the surface of the globe exposed
- Eyelid retraction means that there is a space between the lid and edge of the iris.
- Strabismus means that eyes are not aligned. Inflammation and enlargement of the eye muscles can pull/push the eye in different directions such that each eye sees a different image, and this can cause double vision.
Treatment for Orbital Decompression
Some instances of orbital decompression can be temporarily managed with oral or intravenous corticosteroids for temporary improvement.
To relieve this condition, an operation to remove parts of the surrounding bone is performed. Surgery may focus on creating windows in the bone or removing fat behind the eyeball.
Our team of experts at California Sinus Centers will walk you through each part of the treatment process to ensure that you are an active and informed participant in your care. We are dedicated to supporting you on your path to better health.
Call California Sinus Centers for more information or to schedule an appointment.