Nov. 14, 2024 — Prevent Blindness has designated Nov. 18-24 as the fifth annual Thyroid Eye Disease (TED) Awareness Week, aiming to raise awareness about the autoimmune condition also known as Graves' eye disease.
TED causes inflammation and swelling, leading to symptoms that affect eye appearance, comfort, and vision. In severe cases, TED can lead to difficulty moving the eyes, incomplete eyelid closure, corneal ulcers, changes in color perception, and blurred or lost vision due to optic nerve compression or corneal damage.
Research has highlighted the mental health impact of TED, linking it to a higher risk of depression and anxiety. Patients often report reduced self-confidence, social withdrawal, and productivity challenges. In response, Prevent Blindness provides mental health resources through its Vision Loss and Mental Wellness page, part of the Living Well With Low Vision program, to support TED patients and those with vision impairment.
As part of its awareness campaign, Prevent Blindness offers free educational materials on TED, including fact sheets, social media graphics, and a dedicated web page, with resources in both English and Spanish. In its Focus on Eye Health Expert Series, the organization features discussions with TED experts:
- “Thyroid Eye Disease and the TED Community” with Christine Gustafson, TED Community Organization CEO, who shares her experience with TED and her work to create resources for others.
- “Thyroid Eye Disease (TED) and Mental Wellness” with Prem Subramanian, M.D., Ph.D., who discusses the connection between TED and mental health, emphasizing the importance of patient-provider communication.
- “Thyroid Eye Disease (TED)” features a discussion about the condition's impact and treatment options with Sara Wester, M.D., FACS, from Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, and TED patient Stephen Bander.
“We are in an exciting time of offering hope and help to those with thyroid eye disease and their care partners, thanks to access to new treatment options and the development of new medications on the horizon,” says Jeff Todd, Prevent Blindness president and CEO. “Because TED often impacts vision and mental health, our goal is to provide the public, patients, and care partners with information needed to understand and mitigate the effects of TED and help patients enjoy a high quality of life for years to come.”