Your thyroid is a small gland that plays a huge role in your overall health. It produces hormones that regulate your body temperature, turn food into energy, and keep your heartbeat steady.
When you have thyroid disease, all of these functions can suffer. Meanwhile, your eyes and vision may take a serious hit due to the related condition known as thyroid eye disease (TED).
At our offices in the Upper East Side of Manhattan and Rye, New York, oculoplastic surgeon Robert Schwarcz, MD, and his team offer TEPEZZA® infusions to minimize the effects of TED.
Symptoms of this condition tend to come on gradually and worsen over time. As an autoimmune disease, TED causes your immune system to attack tissues in or around your eyes, fueling inflammation. The swelling causes your eyes to move forward in their sockets, creating a bulging look.
Thyroid eye disease can also cause:
Rarely, TED can cause ulcers and pressure on particular nerves in your eye, leading to reduced vision or blindness.
In most cases, thyroid eye disease is associated with Graves’ disease, which causes an overactive thyroid gland. About 25% of people with Graves’ disease develop TED at some point.
Smoking also raises your risk for TED. Smokers are up to six times more likely to develop it. Age is a risk factor, too, with TED symptoms usually appearing between ages 30 and 60.
Numerous treatments are available to ease the effects of TED, including decompression surgery, eye muscle surgery, steroid medication, and prism glasses for double vision. Many people benefit from psychological counseling as well, to manage stress related to the condition.
Dr. Schwarcz offers TEPEZZA infusions as a non surgical alternative. Individual results vary, but Tepezza benefits typically include reduced eye inflammation, redness, and bulging. Improved vision also tends to unfold during the series of treatments, too, along with a better quality of life.
TEPEZZA is the first FDA-approved treatment for thyroid eye disease. During your treatment, you receive an infusion intravenously once every 3-4 weeks for eight total infusions. Each treatment takes roughly an hour and a half while you sit comfortably and relax.
While TEPEZZA is most effective during the early stages of TED, you may benefit later on if you’re dealing with eye bulging or double vision. Our team can perform an exam to determine if you’re a good candidate.
To find out if TEPEZZA is right for you, contact Robert Schwarcz, MD, today. He also offers eyelid blepharoplasty, a cosmetic surgery that may improve the appearance of your eyes when you have TED.
