HEALTH AND WELLNESS
"Whether you've been living with Graves' disease for a long time like me, or were recently diagnosed, it's not too late to know your risk for TED, learn the signs and symptoms, and take action if necessary."
Signs and Symptoms of TED
* Dry or gritty feeling in your eyes
* Feeling like something's stuck in your eyes
* Watery, teary eyes
* Redness
* Eye pain and pressure behind your eyes
* Bulging eyes and/or swollen eyelids
* Eyelid retraction (pulled back eyelids)
* Misaligned eyes (eyes point in different directions)
* Sensitivity to light
* Blurry and/or double vision
* Loss of vision/color vision (occurs in a small number of patients)
For people living with a thyroid condition
* Know you're at an increased risk of developing TED
* If you notice any changes in your eyes, write them down and bring those notes to your appointments
* Make an appointment with a TED Eye
Specialist at the first signs of any changes in your eye symptoms and request a comprehensive eye exam. Find a TED Eye Specialist near you at TEDdoctors.com.
won her first of three Olympic gold medals. Yet, Gail continued to suffer from her eye symptoms. Gail's eyes were bulging, irritated and dry, and she couldn't close them fully when she slept.
For decades, Gail learned to live with her eye symptoms. "It got so bad, there were times I couldn't even see the hurdles in front of me," Gail added. It would take 30 years before Gail was finally diagnosed with Thyroid Eye Disease, also known as TED; a separate but related condition to Graves' disease, that requires separate care and treatment. "In all that time, not a single doctor mentioned that I was at risk for
another condition or that my eye symptoms were separate from Graves'," said Gail.
Now, Gail manages her eye symptoms with a team of doctors - a TED Eye Specialist, an ophthalmologist with special training in diagnosing and treating TED, and an endocrinologist who continues to manage her Graves' disease.
It's Not Too Late
As a mentor to the next generation of athletes and an impassioned health advocate, Gail is determined to pass along her knowledge to help others.