Hello and welcome! It can sometimes be difficult to sort out whether eye issues are related to Graves’ or if there is something else going on. Thyroid eye disease can appear in different ways in different patients. Some will experience obvious symptoms such as swelling, lid retraction, bulging and double vision. Others will experience more subtle (but still aggravating) issues such as dryness, grittiness, tearing, and light sensitivity. In some cases, the dryness or tearing can cause blurred vision.
Has your doctor spoken to you about using eye drops? Some common brands of drops that Graves’ patients use include Genteal, Systane, and Refresh. Don’t use drops that are designed to “get the red out”; these products are generally *irritating* instead of helpful. Gels as opposed to drops can last longer, but the down side is that they will cause blurred vision for quite a while.
Also, were you able to see an ophthalmologist as opposed to an optometrist? Although some optometrists are familiar with Graves’ disease and thyroid eye disease, ophthalmologists usually have more expertise.
Although Graves’ (to my knowledge – I’m a fellow patient, not a doc) does not affect whether you are nearsighted or farsighted, the symptoms of thyroid eye disease can appear at any time, even years after treatment. So definitely be persistent if you experience the symptoms mentioned above. Even if it’s not thyroid eye disease, you still deserve to get some answers as to what is going on!
Take care!
