Can thyroid problems affect the eyes?

In some patients who suffer from thyroid problems the eyes can be affected in different ways. Most commonly, patients have discomfort and pain around the eyes which may or may not be accompanied by swelling. In some patients the eyes are more prominent and this can also lead to the eyelids to be more open and give a typical staring look. As a consequence patients may have difficulty with closing their eyes. In very severe cases there can be pressure on the nerve of the eye causing visual loss.

The eye problems tend to last a certain period of time in phases up to 2 years. After this period, if the problems persist then a range of corrective procedures may be considered.

My eyes always have a tired look, can this be corrected?

There can be different reasons for this, however most commonly this is due to excessive skin from the top lid or bags forming under the lower lids. Both of these can be successfully corrected with what is called a blepharoplasty. Some patients are not keen on surgery and it is possible to consider alternatives to improve skin changes and wrinkles.

I have noticed a lump on my eyelids, can this be cleared?

This is usually caused by one of the glands on the eye lid becoming blocked or inflamed, the waxy secretion builds up and becomes infected. They usually shrink without a trace left. Hot compresses can help in the early phases. Sometimes the lump persists and typically can swell up and then reduce in size but never go away completely. Should this be the case a small opening done from the inside of the eyelids will resolve the problem. However the causes of lumps on the eyelids are many and diverse and it is advised to have them checked out.

My child has a droopy eyelid, is this dangerous?

It is not necessarily dangerous but if the lid is positioning covers the pupil it will affect the vision. Only in these cases does the lid need to be lifted with surgery, which can be done as early as 3-4 months of age. When surgery is done early in life it usually needs to be repeated around the age of 4-5 years. It is important to have this checked early to exclude other problems that can present with this such as astigmatism.

What will happen in the children's eye clinic?

Your child will first be seen by an orthoptist who is an expert in assessing what children can see and whether they are using their eyes together. After wards eyes drops will be put in to make the pupils dilate (get bigger) and relax the focusing muscles of the eyes. These drops take at least 40 minutes to work and prepare the eyes for the next part of the appointment called refraction. Refraction uses lights and lenses to measure the optics of the eye so that correct glasses can be prescribed. This is usually done by the optician (optometrist) but may be done by the consultant. Finally the doctor will examine the eyes front to back, make a diagnosis and discuss the treatment options with the parents. Your child may be given eye drops or a glasses prescription, an operation may be recommended or we may be able to reassure you that no eye treatment is needed.

The effect of the drops lasts for 3-4 hours so it is advisable to bring some sunglasses for your child to wear when they leave as they will find the bright sunshine slightly uncomfortable. Your child may have trouble focusing on near work until the drops wear off if the child is returning to school the teacher should be informed.

When should my child have an eye test?

If your child seems not to see well or appears to have a squint (turn) in the eye do not delay and bring them for a test. Babies older than 4 months of age and children should be able to hold their eyes straight, and failure to do so can adversely affect the development of their vision.

If your child seems fine but someone in the family is affected by squint or lazy eye or needed glasses at a very young age then getting an eye test done at about age 3 years is sensible.

Children with no eye problems in the family and no general health problems should have a test at the age of about 4 or 5. This is often done at schools - check whether your school will be doing vision screening.

If your child has general health problems check with your paediatrician whether they need an eye test. Many children with developmental problems benefit from eye checks.

Why does my child need glasses?

If your child is prescribed glasses it may be for a variety of reasons. They may have poor vision, eye strain symptoms, a squint that can be improved by glasses or a difference in prescription between the eyes which will lead to lazy eye (amblyopia) if not treated. If your child already wears glasses please bring them to the appointment so that vision can be checked with them on. We will be able to advise you whether a change is required. Children learn to see from birth until about 8 years of age. When young children are given glasses it is to promote normal visual development and so they should wear them as much of the time as possible to give the brain the best chance of developing good sight in both eyes. If your child is given glasses as part of the treatment of lazy eye they will need to adapt to them for several months before starting the second stage of amblyopia treatment which is usually wearing a patch (occlusion) on the good eye to force the brain to learn to use information from the weaker eye.

Will my new baby's eye stop watering?

Tears drain from the eyes through two tiny holes in the top and bottom lids into a little tear sac under the skin between the eye and the nose and then through a thin tube into the back of the nose. In almost 10% of babies the tear drainage tube (nasolacrimal duct) is not open at birth. These babies tend to develop a watery and sticky eye a few weeks after birth when they start producing a normal volume of tears and the tears have nowhere to go. In the vast majority of cases the duct opens without any intervention some time during the first year of life. The sac should be pressed gently two or three times a day to empty it of stagnant tears and all the stickiness should be cleaned away using saline or boiled (cool) water. No antibiotics are needed unless the eye gets red. If the wateriness persists beyond one year it starts to get less likely to settle spontaneously. For these babies we offer a simple probing procedure under anaesthetic to open up the drainage pathway and let the tears flow away.

How can a squint (strabismus) be treated?

A strabismus is a misalignment of the eyes so that only one eye is pointing at what the child is looking at. Misalignments can be horizontal or vertical and constant or intermittent. Different squints are treated in different ways. A very common form is a convergent squint when the eye turns towards the nose. The majority of children with convergent strabismus are long sighted ie. they have to actively focus the eye in order to see clearly. Normal eyes only need to focus for near vision and are completely relaxed when looking in the distance. When the child is long sighted they may actively focus until one eye can see clearly but the extra focusing will cause the eye to turn in. If one eye is more long-sighted than the other it will remain blurred and this will result in lazy eye or amblyopia as the brain processes vision from the better eye and neglects to use the worse eye. When a long sighted child with a convergent squint is given their glasses they can see clearly with no active focusing for distance and only the normal amount of focusing for near. In some children the glasses completely control the squint but in others squint surgery is required. In general it is better to fully treat amblyopia (lazy eye) before carrying out squint surgery.

When children need strabismus surgery it is carried out under general (full) anaesthetic. There are 6 muscles that move each eye and the function of any of these can be changed by moving their position on the eye or weakening or tightening the muscle. Your surgeon will be able to advise you about which muscles will be operated on and why. In some cases surgery on just one eye is best and in other cases operating on muscles in both eyes is advisable to get the best results.

What can be done to protect the eyes?

The eye needs light in order to work, but too much bright sunlight (as we have here in Dubai) may be associated with damage to the retina (age related macular degeneration). It is sensible therefore always to wear a hat/cap with a brim or dark glasses when out in bright light.

The most important environmental factor associated with eye disease is smoking - smoking is bad for retinas. Yet another reason to give up the habit!

Diet is also important - dark green leafy vegetables (spinach, kale, and broccoli) contain micronutrients that are important for the health of the retina. A balanced diet is sensible for all sorts of reasons.

Vitamin and mineral supplements in the form of pills or powders have a limited role in protecting the eyes in someone eating a balanced diet. There are some forms of age related macular degeneration that can be helped by these pills - consult your doctor if in doubt. Remember that too many supplements can also be harmful so always only take the recommended dosage.

What happens in the eye in diabetes?

Diabetes is first and foremost a disease that affects blood vessels all over the body, including the eye. The tiny blood vessels in the retina are often among the first to show changes - they can leak, they can dry up and disappear, and new ones can grow where they do not belong. Some of these changes are very mild and eyesight is unaltered. Others are much more severe and vision can be lost.

Good eyesight in diabetes is not an indication that there is no problem in the retinas. Many severe changes can develop to and advanced stage before they show themselves in reduced vision. It is essential that all diabetes should have their eyes regularly monitored in some way (having photographs done or being examined by a doctor).

Treatment often works to save the eyesight, but it works best when it is applied early in the disease. This again means that regular follow-up is important. As a rule every diabetic should be evaluated once a year as a minimum. When changes start to occur then the monitoring needs to be done more frequently.

How would I know if I had a retinal detachment?

Retinal detachment is uncommon, but may be very severe when it happens. Often a person may be aware of symptoms that indicate a detachment is happening, yet they do not realise the significance of the symptoms and do nothing about them. There is no pain with detachment and the eye does not go red or look in any way different from the outside.

The main symptoms are an increase in the severity of floaters, flashing lights, and a shadow in the vision. We all have some black dots and spots floating in the vision. These are imperfections and condensations in the vitreous jelly in the eye and are of no significance. Retinal detachment is often preceded by a partial separation of the jelly from the retina, and this may dramatically increase the number, size and severity of floaters. In other words, a sudden change in floaters may be significant and it is advisable to see an eye specialist if this occurs.

Flashing light in the "corners" of the eye, often best seen at night after the lights have been turned off, are also an indicating that the jelly is more mobile in the eye - again, see an eye doctor if the symptoms start.

Once a retinal detachment is developing the vision starts to be affected. The most common description that patients give is that there appears to be a "smudge" or "thumbprint" in the vision - it is just not clear. Later the impression may be of a curtain being drawn across the vision. Clearly this is serious and immediate eye consultation is needed.

Are floaters important?

Everyone has floaters - lie on your back and look up at a blue sky and you will see myriads of dots, lines and wiggles in the vision. These are normal imperfections in the jelly of the eye and there is no need to see an eye specialist about them. Sometimes, however, the floaters may be bigger and much more intrusive. This does not necessarily mean that there is a problem but where they start to get in the way of the vision then it is wise to see a doctor. If the floaters are very annoying then wearing dark glasses can make them less visible. Rarely, when they are so bad that they interfere with the quality of life of the sufferer, it is possible to do surgery to remove the jelly and hence the floaters.

A sudden change in the number, size and severity of floaters can indicate retinal detachment - see an eye doctor soon.

Can the retina be replaced?

No…not yet! There is a lot of research in this field at the moment but nothing that is remotely applicable to people. What will soon be possible is to replace some dead or sick cells with stem cells. Clinical trial are just starting now to see if stem cells can help the layer underneath the retina in patients with age related macular degeneration. It will be many years before this is widely available even if the trials are successful.

Artificial (silicone chip) retinal implants are close to being accepted into clinical practice. There are many competing designs for these devices and none of them are able to offer high quality vision. Again, lots of research will mean that progress will be made over time.