What is the management of mild TED?
Local treatments aim to protect the eye and reduce discomfort until TED becomes inactive. Many people suffer dry red irritable eyes because of poor lid movement (sometimes causing a staring appearance) and exposure of the front surface of the eye (due to protuberance of the eyeball). Eyelid swelling and double vision may also be helped by simple measures.
- Simple lubricant eye drops to keep the eye moist during the day
- Ointment in the eye last thing at night if the eye is not closing fully
- If the eyelids do not close fully, protecting the eye at night by taping the eyelids
- Glasses with wide side frames protect the eye from wind and dirt
- Glasses with tinted lenses may also help keep the eyes comfortable
- Guanethidine 2% eye drops is occasionaly used for mild staring eyes
- Elevating the head of the bed or using extra pillows can reduce lid swelling that is worse in the mornings
- Double vision can be treated by covering or 'fogging' one side of a pair of glasses. In some cases prisms can be incorporated into glasses or prisms stuck onto the glasses (if double vision is stable) to compensate for this
- In mild TED with a severe stare, eyelid surgery (for example tarsorrhaphy; ie partially closing the eyelids) under local anaesthetic is effective.
