Does thyroid eye disease cause headaches?

Common symptoms of thyroid eye disease include swelling around the eyes, bulging of the eyes, irritation, redness, and a pressure sensation associated with headache.

Do you get headaches with thyroid eye disease?

Progressive swelling may cause: Increased pressure inside the eye socket. Pressure-pain or deep headache, which worsens with eye movements. Decreased vision, when swollen tissues push on the optic nerve.

What are the first signs of thyroid eye disease?

Early symptoms of thyroid eye disease are itching, watering or dry eyes and a feeling of grittiness of the eyes. Some people may notice a swelling around the eyelids and sometimes the front of the eye becomes swollen.

Can hypothyroidism cause headaches and eye pain?

In some people, an eye problem known as Graves' ophthalmopathy may develop if hypothyroidism develops after treatment for Graves' disease — the most common form of overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism). Graves' ophthalmopathy can cause eye discomfort, protruding eyeballs and vision changes.

How does thyroid eye disease affect the body?

Thyroid eye disease is a rare disease characterized by progressive inflammation and damage to tissues around the eyes, especially extraocular muscle, connective, and fatty tissue. Thyroid eye disease is characterized by an active disease phase in which progressive inflammation, swelling, and tissue changes occur.

Danielle’s Story Living with Graves' and Thyroid Eye Disease

How quickly does thyroid eye disease progress?

Eye problems will usually occur and frequently change in type or severity for between six months and two years. Once stabilized, it is unusual for the eyes to start changing again. Some patients are left with permanent changes, and in others the eyes return to normal.

What triggers thyroid eye disease?

It occurs when the body's immune system attacks the tissue surrounding the eye causing inflammation in the tissues around and behind the eye. In most patients, the same autoimmune condition that causes TED also affects the thyroid gland, resulting in Graves' disease.

How do you get rid of a thyroid headache?

One of the most common medication-based thyroid treatments used today is called levothyroxine. According to a presentation by the Neurology Times, hypothyroid patients using levothyroxine saw a decrease in both the severity and frequency of their chronic thyroid headache.

What is a thyroid headache?

The International classification of headache disorders describes headaches attributed to hypothyroidism as “Headache, usually bilateral and non-pulsatile, in patients with hypothyroidism and remitting after normalization of thyroid hormone levels.” Recent supporting literature has shown that not only is migraine more ...

Can thyroid cause pressure in head?

Although rare, an autoimmune thyroid disorder can alter intracranial pressure.

What are the stages of thyroid eye disease?

There are two phases. The active phase, marked by inflammation, usually lasts from six months to two years. The focus during this stage is on medical treatment to relieve the eye symptoms. During the second phase, or the stable phase, inflammation and other symptoms have subsided.

Can you have thyroid eye disease without Graves disease?

FACT: You can develop TED without having Graves' disease.

While it's true that many people are diagnosed with Graves' before being diagnosed with Thyroid Eye Disease (TED), it's not always the case. In fact, about 1 in 10 people with TED develop it without having Graves' disease.

Can Graves disease cause headaches?

Essentially a form of hyperthyroidism, Grave's disease is the most common form of hyperthyroid disease. Symptoms of Grave's disease include: Fatigue. Recurring headaches/migraines.

Can thyroid problems cause headaches dizziness?

Yes, dizziness is a symptom of a thyroid problem. Thyroid diseases³ or thyroid abnormalities sometimes manifest as dizziness. A high heart rate, shortness of breath, and lightheadedness are all possible symptoms of hyperthyroidism.

Can low thyroid cause headaches?

Headache is one of the most common symptoms of hypothyroidism, occurring in approximately one-third of the patients.

Does thyroid eye disease hurt?

When you have thyroid eye disease, a problem with your immune system causes it to attack the muscles and fat around your eyes. This can lead to symptoms like pain, a gritty feeling in your eyes, and double vision.

What disease causes frequent headaches?

Conditions that might cause nonprimary chronic daily headaches include: Inflammation or other problems with the blood vessels in and around the brain, including stroke. Infections, such as meningitis. Intracranial pressure that's either too high or too low.

Can high TSH levels cause headaches?

"It is possible that the development of hypothyroidism in a headache patient might further increase the frequency of headache, as past studies have found that treatment of hypothyroidism reduces the frequency of headache," study co-author Dr. Vincent Martin, a professor of medicine, said in a school news release.

Can overactive thyroid cause headaches?

Limited research suggests hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) could cause headaches, along with several other symptoms, although headaches could also mean you have hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid). Talk to your doctor about your symptoms so they can diagnose or rule out hyperthyroidism.

What does a thyroid storm feel like?

Symptoms of thyroid storm include: Feeling extremely irritable or grumpy. High systolic blood pressure, low diastolic blood pressure, and fast heartbeat. Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.

What is an optical migraine?

Retinal migraine (ocular migraine) is an eye condition that causes brief attacks of blindness or visual problems like flashing lights in 1 eye. These episodes can be frightening, but in most cases they're harmless and shortlived, and eyesight goes back to normal afterwards.

How do neurologists treat headaches?

Next Steps. If your neurologist finds that your pain is caused by migraines, they'll recommend a treatment plan to stop your symptoms and help prevent them from coming back. Doctors break up migraine medication into two main groups. You may use a drug to relieve your pain or medicine to prevent your pain.

Is thyroid eye disease a disability?

There are a variety of thyroid gland disorders than can negatively impact your life, two of which are hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism. If you have been diagnosed with a thyroid gland disorder, you may qualify for social security disability benefits if your condition is severe enough.

Can thyroid eye disease affect only one eye?

Most of the time, Graves' eye disease affects both eyes. Up to 14 percent of the time, only one eye is involved. There's no connection between your eye symptoms and the severity of hyperthyroidism.

How do you manage thyroid eye disease?