Graves Disease

and tearing
•Fatigue
•Frequent bowel movements
•Goiter (possible)
•Heat intolerance
•Increased appetite
•Increased sweating
•Insomnia
•Irregular menstrual periods in women
•Muscle weakness
•Nervousness
•Rapid or irregular heartbeat (palpitations or arrhythmia)
•Restlessness and difficulty sleeping
•Shortness of breath with activity
•Tremor
•Weight loss (rarely, weight gain)

Graves' ophthalmopathy
It's also fairly common for your eyes to exhibit mild signs of a condition known as Graves' ophthalmopathy. This occurs as tissue and muscles behind your eyes, swell and cause the eyeball to move forward. Because your eye is so far forward, the front surface of your eye can become dry. Cigarette smokers with Graves' disease are more likely to have eye problems. Graves' ophthalmopathy may cause these mild signs and symptoms:
Excess tearing and sensation of grit or sand in either or both eyes
Reddened or inflamed eyes
Widening of the space between your eyelids
Swelling of the lids and tissues around the eyes
Light sensitivity
Less often, Graves' ophthalmopathy can produce these signs and symptoms:
Ulcers on the cornea
Double vision
Limited eye movements
Blurred or reduced vision
Treating Graves' ophthalmopathy
If Graves' disease affects your eyes (Graves' ophthalmopathy), you can manage mild symptoms by using artificial tears liberally during the day and lubricating gels at night. If your symptoms are more severe, your doctor may recommend:
Medications
Treatment with prescription corticosteroids, such as prednisone, may diminish swelling behind your eyeballs. Orbital decompression surgery
In this surgery, your doctor removes the bone between your eye socket (orbit) and your sinuses — the air spaces next to the orbit. This gives your eyes room to move back to their original position. Possible complications include double vision and lip numbness. Eye muscle surgery
The inflammation caused by Graves' disease can affect your eye muscles, making them too short to allow the eyes to align properly. In eye muscle surgery, your doctor cuts the muscle where it attaches to your eyeball and then reattaches it farther back. Sometimes, more than one operation is necessary. Prisms
You may have double vision either because of Graves' disease or as a side effect of surgery for Graves' disease. Though they don't work for everyone, prisms in your glasses may correct your double vision. Orbital radiotherapy
was once a common treatment for Graves' ophthalmopathy. Orbital radiotherapy uses targeted X-rays over the course of several days to destroy some of the tissue behind your eyes. However, some studies have suggested that this treatment provides no benefit for people who have mild to moderately severe Graves' ophthalmopathy. Your doctor may recommend orbital radiotherapy if your eye problems are worsening and prescription corticosteroids alone aren't effective or well tolerated. Lifestyle and home remedies
For Graves' ophthalmopathy
These steps may make your eyes feel better if you have Graves' ophthalmopathy:
Apply cool compresses to your eyes. The added moisture may soothe your eyes. Wear sunglasses. When your eyes protrude, they're more vulnerable to ultraviolet rays and more sensitive to bright light. Wearing sunglasses that wrap around the sides of your head will lessen the irritation of your eyes from the wind. Use lubricating eyedrops. Eyedrops may relieve the dry, scratchy sensation on the surface of your eyes. At night, a paraffin-based gel such as Lacri-Lube can be applied. Elevate the head of your bed. Keeping your head higher than the rest of your body lessens fluid accumulation in the head and may relieve the pressure on your eyes. For Graves' dermopathy
If the disease affects your skin (Graves' dermopathy), use over-the-counter creams or ointments containing hydrocortisone to relieve swelling and reddening. In addition, using compression wraps on your legs may help.