What Are the Symptoms of Thyroid Eye Disease (TED) or Graves’ Eye Disease?

Symptoms of TED (or Graves' eye disease) can vary and may come and go. Here are some of them:

Eye protrusion. TED can cause the muscles in and around the eye to swell and push the eye forward. This eye bulge makes someone look as if they are constantly staring.
Eyelid retraction. With the eye pushed forward, the upper and lower eyelids retract (pull back). This makes the white part of the eye more visible.
Dry eye. With TED, the eyes are more exposed to wind and dust. This can make the eyes very dry. Dry eye makes the eyes feel scratchy and uncomfortable, and makes vision blurry. Being very sensitive to light is also a problem.
Vision changes. Muscle swelling can cause double vision (seeing two images of the same object). Swelling can also pressure and damage the optic nerve (the part of the eye connecting the eye to the brain), which can lead to vision loss.
Eye “bags.” When the eyelid swells, it can cause tissue around the eye to bulge. This looks like bags around the eyes, and can make someone look older than they are.