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What is a TED flare?
A TED flare is when TED symptoms appear again after a period of stability. In a study of 415 patients, 15.7% of patients experienced recurrent TED. Most of these cases occurred within the first 1O years after the first episode of TED.
TED, Thyroid Eye Disease.
Thyroid Eye Disease Management Tips for Patients
Although TED may be challenging, these tips may help you as you continue your journey
The true impact of TED goes well beyond the eyes, as it can have a big impact on other aspects of life. While these changes may not always be visible, they should not be overlooked.
Here are some tips that can help you manage your condition.
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Tips for managing vision changes
What you may experience:
Loss of vision can limit how well you do certain tasks. This can include:
- Difficulty driving
- Depending on others
- Missing work
Ways to help:
- Place furniture where you can see it
- Put the TV and computer where there’s no glare
- Wear non-slip footwear
- Have a designated place where you put things
- Tape or tuck away all cords to avoid tripping
- Relieve swelling, redness, and irritation of the eyes with a warm compress
- Use saline solution or artificial tear drops as recommended by your doctor
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Tips for managing emotional changes
What you may experience:
You may feel embarrassed about how TED may change your physical appearance. It’s not uncommon to feel:
- Depressed
- Anxious
- Self-conscious
- Difficulty recognizing yourself in the mirror
- Disconnected from friends, family, and hobbies
Ways to help:
- Meditation and breathing exercises are great ways to reduce stress and anxiety. Consider downloading a meditation app to your phone
- Listening to audiobooks or podcasts can uplift and empower
- Professional counselling can help you cope with emotional challenges
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Tips for managing social changes
What you may experience:
Living with TED may impact your social life and your relationships. For example, you may:
- Avoid people and social events
- Have a hard time making normal facial expressions
- Have difficulty holding face-to-face conversations
Ways to help:
- Shop at stores that you know
- Run errands at off-peak hours so you can be more comfortable
- Have easy access to sunglasses when you are in crowded areas
- If recommended by your doctor, always remember to bring your eye drops
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Tips for using technology
What you may experience:
TED may make it difficult to use technology. For instance, TED may:
- Make it harder to read on a small screen
- Cause the bright light of a screen to be painful
- Make you feel like you can’t participate in text message conversations with your friends or family
Ways to help:
- Increase the font size on all devices (e.g., smartphone, tablet, computer)
- Activate the Read Aloud function for websites, text messages, and email
- Adjust the brightness on all screens