Here are some strategies you’ll want to have on your radar as you manage TED:
1. Quit Smoking
If you’re a smoker, kicking the habit should be the first thing on your to-do list. “Smoking is the only real modifiable risk factor that patients have control over,” says Allison Coombs, DO, director of oculofacial plastic, reconstructive and orbital surgery at Manhattan Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital in New York City. Smoking causes tissue to be ischemic, meaning it doesn’t receive enough oxygen, due to impaired blood flow. This makes the disease more severe, she explains.
Don’t assume it’s okay if you’re smoking something other than cigarettes. You also need to avoid vaping. And do your best to stay away from secondhand smoke.
2. Stick to Your Treatment Plan
If you’ve been prescribed thyroid medication, take it as directed by your doctor. Keeping thyroid numbers within a certain range helps keep symptoms under control, says Dr. Coombs. There are also many treatment options, such as steroids, that can help dial down symptoms. “Steroids can be given in eye-drop form, via high-dose oral steroids, or even through an IV,” she says. “These don’t really change the course of the disease or the duration, but they help with symptoms.”
3. Eat Healthy
An anti-inflammatory eating plan, such as a Mediterranean diet, can be beneficial when you’re dealing with thyroid eye disease. This diet focuses on eating whole foods and avoiding processed foods and drinks, such as commercial baked goods, deep-fried foods, processed meat, and soda, which contribute to inflammation. “Patients who are really strict with adhering to an anti-inflammatory diet tend to have less severe disease,” says Coombs, who also notes that it can help lower cholesterol, which is associated with TED. She also recommends eliminating alcohol from your diet.
To find the best way to adapt an anti-inflammatory diet to your life, try meeting with a nutritionist for a session or two to help you strategize the best food choices.
4. Ask About Your Selenium Levels
5. Manage Stress
Coombs recommends consulting a mental health professional and regularly engaging in activities that calm you, such as meditation or yoga.
6. Wear Sunglasses
If you have severe TED symptoms, such as bulging eyes or eyelids that don’t close all the way, shades are crucial. “You should be wearing sunglasses outside from a safety perspective,” says Coombs. “You can’t protect your eyeballs if your eyelids don’t close completely.” If symptoms are mild, you don’t necessarily have to wear sunglasses, but Coombs says it’s a good idea, because they can reduce your risk of skin and intraocular cancers.
7. Choose Your Medical Team Carefully
“Self-advocacy is essential, and it’s so important to find an interdisciplinary team you like,” says Coombs. You’ll likely want to enlist the help of a neuro-ophthalmologist, an endocrinologist, a dietitian, and a mental health specialist, if possible. “I tell my patients, ‘I’m not the solution. I’m one factor in this.’ We need to utilize every option we have, because it’s a complicated disease to have and complicated to manage,” she says. When you take the time to find doctors you like and trust, you’ll be more inclined to reach out to them when symptoms change or if you have other concerns.
The Takeaway
- Managing a chronic condition such as thyroid eye disease may seem overwhelming, especially when you’ve just been diagnosed.
- There are treatments and measures you can take to help reduce symptoms and feel more like yourself.
- Habits such as eating healthy, sticking to your treatment plan, and working with your thyroid eye disease medical team can help you optimize management of TED.