# Eyes bloodshot



## Soconfused27 (Mar 13, 2013)

Just wondering if this a common issue with thyroid. My eyes just look terrible lately. It's driving me nuts because a few years ago I would consider myself pretty. If I could post pictures I would but since I am on my cell I will describe it. I want to remind everyone I have no diagnosis of anything thyroid related, just my suspicion. All my blood work has been "normal" and I am now waiting on antibodies tests.

I have been losing my eyebrows along with the hair on my head since October. Hair falls out all over my eyebrows, but is only noticeable on the outer edges. The left eyebrow is worst and the right still looks "normal". The hair kind of falls out and grows back. Not really noticeable to anyone but me. I am blonde anyways so that kind of helps. I have read that losing the outer third is common with thyroid but this is only 1 eyebrow that has noticeable outer loss.

Both my eyes are bloodshot, not real bad and again not noticeable unless you really look. It's mainly in the outer corners and is more noticeable when I turn my eyes. This bloodshot area also has a slightly yellow cast. The rest of the whites are white and I have had liver function tests ran (my palms also have a yellowish cast and the skin looks funny). My eyelids are also frequently itchy along the lash line. And there's quite a bit of discharge in the corners on the morning ( no infection)

I have always had dark circles under my eyes, it seems to be hereditary, but now I have deep purple, reddish colored dark circles and dark eyelids. If I look ahead normally I have puffy lower eyelids and the skin where my eyebrows are rests on my upper eyelids. I always wake up with a puffy face and swollen fingers. This looks absolutely terrible! To the point that I have had people say, " I don't know why you don't wear makeup more often, you look way better with it".

Add to this my extremely thin hair, that expensive thickening product no longer help with ( its gotten noticeably darker over the last little while, so strands are very fine and almost white, others are thick and dark. This is only noticeable in the shower when I get handfuls of it and look at it), and my weight loss, lack of motivation and fear of exercise, my nails that are growing with ridges and the issues I'm having with gums and its a recipe for disaster.

Anybody else deal with any of these things? These never really get looked at as real symptoms, so maybe I'm just crazy. Also does anybody else have issues with their gums? Mine have been horrible for 4 years. I can't do anything to fix it. My gums bleed when I brush, I always have inflamed sections if my gums and I'm showing signs of periodontal disease! I do not go for regular cleanings anymore because they always leave with a severe infection which causes more receding guns in the infected area. I do however brush 3 times daily, floss morning and night and use antibacterial mouthwash. I don't know what else to do.


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## HotGrandma (Sep 21, 2012)

Soconfused

Could you post your labs with ranges. What is being called normal may not be your normal. Also the antibodies.

No you are far from crazy. I read a post here about "oil pulling" for your teeth and gums. Google it. It stopped my daughter's gum disease. I don't have the problem with bleeding. The Oil Pulling does make my teeth and gums feel amazing and strong.

Your eye's: Could it be an allergy? Or Dry eye? New Pillows may help. Have you seen anyone for your eyes? For the puffyness I kept a tea bag in the refrigerator to apply to my eyes in the morning. The results of your antibodies will tell if you could possibly develop GED.


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## Soconfused27 (Mar 13, 2013)

This has been on going for 6+ years. My tsh has ranged from 1.2-3.61 in this time. I only had my free t4 test the last two times and results were
Tsh 2.16 (0.2-4.0)
Ft4 9.4 (7.5-21.1) this was last June

Tsh 2.63
Ft4 11.0 same ranges this was the end of march

I won't have my antibody result until tomorrow or Thursday but I'm not getting my hopes up that they will show anything. I have had a normal temp for the last 2 days and feel ok again, which always seems to happen when I get blood work. I am hoping it will be different with antibodies though. The one and only blood test I had when I felt bad came back with a tsh of 3.61.... Probably me just trying to grasp for hope. I will post results when I get them. I feel like I cycle between hypo and hyper symptoms quite frequently.

I will for sure check out oil pulling... I'm pretty desperate to have a healthy mouth again that's for sure.

As for allergies, I have none that I am aware of. When I was younger I used to break out in hives when I went outside and got diagnosed as having an allergy to the sun lol. This went away now I just burn really easily even with sun screen, I have bad heat intolerance but I also have cold intolerance, get headaches and am really sensitive bright lights. I just bought prescription sunglasses since I can't wear contacts and they really help. I haven't changed anything that I know of either. There have been lots of colds in my house with 3 young kids, I never usually catch any of them but I did catch the last one and like every other one I have managed to catch it drags on for weeks. The eye thing has been for longer than the cold though. The itchy eyelids have been for at least a year and the bloodshot thing comes and goes but it's been a long time as well.

I am anxiously awaiting test results but I'm not being overly hopeful. I have no solid family background knowledge and lots of "normal" results since 2008, so I'm feeling a little pessimistic. My brother has lots of similar symptoms and has had them since he was 12, only now were they increasing so he went to the doctor and just it the completely normal, here's an antidepressant speech for the first time.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Soconfused27 said:


> Just wondering if this a common issue with thyroid. My eyes just look terrible lately. It's driving me nuts because a few years ago I would consider myself pretty. If I could post pictures I would but since I am on my cell I will describe it. I want to remind everyone I have no diagnosis of anything thyroid related, just my suspicion. All my blood work has been "normal" and I am now waiting on antibodies tests.
> 
> I have been losing my eyebrows along with the hair on my head since October. Hair falls out all over my eyebrows, but is only noticeable on the outer edges. The left eyebrow is worst and the right still looks "normal". The hair kind of falls out and grows back. Not really noticeable to anyone but me. I am blonde anyways so that kind of helps. I have read that losing the outer third is common with thyroid but this is only 1 eyebrow that has noticeable outer loss.
> 
> ...


Okay; you may have iritis/uveitis which is a precursor to the diagnosis of autoimmune disease. The yellow/orange in the eyes and on the palms of hands and bottoms of feet are Carotene. Those of us w/thyroid disease do not process Vitamin A very well if at all. It is called Carotenemia.

Here is a link.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carotenosis

It may very well be in your best interest to book an appt. w/ a Board Certified Ophthalmologist. You may have the beginnings of thyroid eye disease.


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## Soconfused27 (Mar 13, 2013)

Thanks andros. I just checked out that link and my hands are nowhere near that yellow. Just kind of like a tint of yellow, like the color of a callus thats just starting to form maybe. After seeing that page I feel like maybe I'm making it up lol. It's mainly on my fingers and the top part of my palm and same thing with my thumbs. Maybe thickened skin? It's strange and honestly if I weren't suffering from so many things I wouldn't of even noticed, although my eyes I would have for sure. We do however eat carrots once or twice a week. My soles of my feet are fine, are my knees and elbows as far as I can tell.

I would like to find an ophthalmologist, since my night vision has seriously declined since I had my daughter (not really sure how, but I am just uncomfortable in the dark and won't drive after dark anymore because I don't feel like I can see properly in the dark anymore), unfortunantly I don't think that's an option at the moment. My eyes aren't terrible and I'm pretty sure I need a referral. I just had an eye exam to get new glasses and sunglasses and he told me I didn't need to go back because my eyes were very healthy on the inside. They did the measuring of the eyes and the air puff things.

Is it possible to have TED for many years without it getting worst? I Definantly have no eye bulging infact with the puffiness under my eyes and the "droopy" eyebrow my eyes look the opposite of wide open. The only new thing with eyes that hasn't been there at some point before is that I randomly see a yellow light and when I turn my eyes to see where its coming from its not there.


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