Thyroid eye disease (TED) is an autoimmune disease that affects some people with autoimmune thyroid disease. It is most common in people with hyperthyroidism due to Graves’ disease and rarely occurs in patients with normal or low thyroid levels. TED is a condition in which the eye muscles, eyelids, tear glands, and fatty tissues behind the eye become inflamed, causing symptoms similar to what may happen to your eyes if you have Graves disease. Symptoms of TED include a feeling of grittiness in your eyes, pain behind your eyes or with eye movement, redness of the eyes due to swelling/irritation of the thin coating that covers the white part of the eyes, dry eyes, extra tearing of the eyes, puffy or red eyelids, forward bulging of your eyes (proptosis), and seeing double. TED is usually mild and gets better on its own over time, but some cases can be quite severe and require medications or surgery. If you notice any of these symptoms of more serious eye disease, contact your doctor immediately.