A rare disease that is characterized by progressive inflammation and damage to tissues around the eyes, especially extraocular muscle, connective, and fatty tissue. There is generally an active disease phase in which progressive inflammation, swelling, and tissue changes occur. This phase is associated with a variety of symptoms including pain, a gritty feeling in the eyes, swelling or abnormal positioning of the eyelids, watery eyes, bulging eyes (proptosis) and double vision (diplopia). The active phase can last anywhere from approximately 6 months to 2 years. This is followed by an inactive phase in which the disease progression has stopped. However, some symptoms such as double vision and bulging eyes can remain. In some people, cosmetic changes and significant disability can develop. Although uncommon, in severe instances, vision loss can occur. Thyroid eye disease is an autoimmune disorder in which the body's adaptive immune system, which protects the body from infectious or other foreign substances, mistakenly attacks healthy tissue instead. It most commonly occurs as part of Graves' disease, which is an autoimmune disease that affects the thyroid and often the skin and eyes. The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland located at the base of the neck. Less often, thyroid eye disease can occur in people who have or have had an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) or in individuals with an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) such as people who have a disorder called Hashimoto thyroiditis.

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