Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHome Remedies and LifestyleOver-the-Counter (OTC) TherapiesPrescriptionsSurgeries and Specialist-Driven ProceduresComplementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)Next in Thyroid Eye Disease GuideLiving With Thyroid Eye Disease
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Home Remedies and Lifestyle
Over-the-Counter (OTC) Therapies
Prescriptions
Surgeries and Specialist-Driven Procedures
Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)
Next in Thyroid Eye Disease Guide
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First, your healthcare provider will want to treat your Graves’ disease with medications, radioiodine therapy, or thyroid surgery. Managing your overactive thyroid is important for your eye health. Sometimes treatment for Graves’ disease is not enough to help with thyroid eye disease, so you will need additional treatments, including lifestyle, over-the-counter (OTC), prescription, and surgical options.
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What Is Thyroid Eye Disease?
Symptoms can improve on their own. During this time, you may want to discuss home remedies or lifestyle changes.
Lifestyle changes and home remedies may include:
Most OTC therapies for thyroid eye disease focus on keeping the eyes moist and reducing inflammation.
OTC treatments may include:
Your healthcare provider may recommend prescription medications if other treatments are not working.
Prescriptions may include:
Surgery may be necessary if your thyroid eye disease is severe, and other treatments do not help.
Surgical procedures may:
Usually, your healthcare provider will want to wait until the active part of the disease ends, so there is less inflammation or swelling before surgery.
Procedures may include:
In rare cases, radiation therapy (orbital radiotherapy) for the eye muscles and tissues may be necessary. This procedure destroys some of the damaged eye tissues.
Multiple SurgeriesSometimes more than one surgery may be required to achieve the best results and improve vision. Your healthcare provider will discuss all the options before the first surgery happens.
Multiple Surgeries
Sometimes more than one surgery may be required to achieve the best results and improve vision. Your healthcare provider will discuss all the options before the first surgery happens.
Before trying any complementary or alternative medicine treatments for thyroid eye disease, you should discuss them with your practitioner.
Check with Your Healthcare ProviderSome treatments can interfere with medications or cause side effects. Always discuss all your OTC, herbal, vitamin, and mineral supplements with a healthcare provider.
Check with Your Healthcare Provider
Some treatments can interfere with medications or cause side effects. Always discuss all your OTC, herbal, vitamin, and mineral supplements with a healthcare provider.
Research indicates that some people who have thyroid eye disease may be deficient in selenium and vitamin D.
Taking supplements with selenium and vitamin D may be helpful, but studies are limited on the effectiveness of this treatment. Selenium supplements may be more useful for people who live in areas with soil that is deficient in this mineral.
A Word From Verywell
Finding the right treatments for thyroid eye disease can take time, so it is important to remain patient. You may need a combination of treatments, such as lifestyle, OTC, and prescription options to feel better.
The goal of your treatment is to reduce symptoms while minimizing any side effects from medications. The quality of your life matters, so you should discuss any concerns about side effects with your practitioners. They may be able to adjust or change medications that are causing problems.
Not everyone will need surgery for thyroid eye disease, but it can relieve many symptoms. Your healthcare provider may recommend trying other treatments before having surgery.
5 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Organization for Rare Disorders.Thyroid eye disease.National Institutes of Health: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Graves' disease.American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is Graves’ disease?American Thyroid Association.Graves’ eye disease.Jonklaas J, Danielsen M, Wang H.A pilot study of serum selenium, vitamin d, and thyrotropin concentrations in patients with thyroid cancer.Thyroid. 2013;23(9):1079-1086. doi:10.1089/thy.2012.0548
5 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Organization for Rare Disorders.Thyroid eye disease.National Institutes of Health: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Graves' disease.American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is Graves’ disease?American Thyroid Association.Graves’ eye disease.Jonklaas J, Danielsen M, Wang H.A pilot study of serum selenium, vitamin d, and thyrotropin concentrations in patients with thyroid cancer.Thyroid. 2013;23(9):1079-1086. doi:10.1089/thy.2012.0548
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
National Organization for Rare Disorders.Thyroid eye disease.National Institutes of Health: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Graves' disease.American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is Graves’ disease?American Thyroid Association.Graves’ eye disease.Jonklaas J, Danielsen M, Wang H.A pilot study of serum selenium, vitamin d, and thyrotropin concentrations in patients with thyroid cancer.Thyroid. 2013;23(9):1079-1086. doi:10.1089/thy.2012.0548
National Organization for Rare Disorders.Thyroid eye disease.
National Institutes of Health: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Graves' disease.
American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is Graves’ disease?
American Thyroid Association.Graves’ eye disease.
Jonklaas J, Danielsen M, Wang H.A pilot study of serum selenium, vitamin d, and thyrotropin concentrations in patients with thyroid cancer.Thyroid. 2013;23(9):1079-1086. doi:10.1089/thy.2012.0548
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