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Prevent Blindness has declared its sixth annual Thyroid Eye Disease (TED) Week as Nov. 10-16, 2025. This year’s TED Week is generously supported by Platinum sponsors Amgen and Viridian Therapeutics.
TED is a disease that can occur on its own, or it can occur as a secondary condition due to Graves’ Disease, an autoimmune disorder that occurs when the immune system attacks the thyroid, leading to hyperthyroidism, according to the National Eye Institute. Graves’ disease can cause serious health problems, including TED.
The main symptoms of TED include eye pain, irritation, redness, double vision, inflammation and an increase in the muscle and fat behind the eye, often causing the eyeballs to push forward. In severe cases, the inflammation and increase in the tissues, muscles, and fat behind the eye compress the optic nerve, the nerve that connects the eye to the brain, causing vision loss. The impacts of TED may lead to negative effects on mental health including depression, anxiety, social isolation, loss of independence, and reduced self-confidence.
Risk factors of TED include:
• Age: Usually affects middle-aged adults but can occur at any age
• Gender: Females are affected more than males
• Family history of thyroid eye disease
• Smoking: Smoking increases the risk of thyroid eye disease by 7–8 times, causes thyroid eye disease to have a longer “active phase,” and reduces the effectiveness of treatments
• Low blood levels of selenium, a dietary mineral
• Low blood levels of vitamin D
• Graves’ Disease
• Radioactive iodine therapy: Radioactive iodine has been used to treat hyperthyroidism and Graves’ disease. This treatment should be used with caution in people with TED as it may worsen the condition unless steroids are given at the same time
Prevent Blindness offers a variety of free expert-approved TED educational resources, including comprehensive fact sheets and social media graphics, available in English and Spanish, and a dedicated webpage. Additional resources to support awareness about vision loss and mental wellness can be found on the Prevent Blindness Living Well with Low Vision resource.
As part of World Sight Day on Oct. 9, 2025, Prevent Blindness and the Vision Health Advocacy Coalition (VHAC) produced the “Thyroid Eye Disease: Can I Talk About My Eyes?” webinar. This informative webinar, featuring endocrinologist Dr. Sonalika Khachikian and TED patient Ronda Lynch, included discussions on the importance of eye health in the thyroid community. This virtual event was supported by funding from Amgen.
As part of the collaboration with the VHAC, Prevent Blindness is also offering the new animated video “Did You Know: Thyroid Eye Disease.”
In the new TED patient testimonial video, “Thyroid Eye Disease: Susan’s Story,” Susan R. shares her experience with TED, including how an eye exam led to her TED diagnosis, and her positive experience with the Prevent Blindness ASPECT Patient Engagement program.
The Prevent Blindness Focus on Eye Health Expert Series includes episodes featuring Christine Gustafson, Executive Director and CEO of the TED Community Organization; Prem Subramanian, MD, PhD, Clifford R. and Janice N. Merrill Endowed Chair in Ophthalmology and Vice Chair for Academic Affairs at Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Eye Center, UCHealth; and Sara Wester, MD, FACS, professor of clinical ophthalmology at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute. These may all be found in the Prevent Blindness Thyroid Eye Disease YouTube playlist.
Finally, Prevent Blindness is supporting CONNECTED, the first global virtual conference created by and for people impacted by TED. Hosted by the TED Community Organization, this immersive, weeklong event brings together patients, caregivers, medical experts, advocacy leaders, and industry partners for six days of education, empowerment, and connection.
“Thyroid eye disease brings unique challenges including potential vision loss and changes to a patient’s physical appearance,” said Jeff Todd, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness. “Through early diagnosis and treatment, the negative impact of TED on sight and emotional wellbeing can be significantly lessened.”
For more information on TED, please visit https://preventblindness.org/thyroid-eye-disease/. For a free listing of organizations and services that provide financial assistance for vision care in English or Spanish, please visit https://preventblindness.org/vision-care-financial-assistance-information.
Prevent Blindness is declaring February as Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and Low Vision Month in an effort to provide education and various expert-approved resources to the public and professionals. This year’s AMD and Low Vision Month is generously supported by Gold Sponsor EyePoint, Inc.
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, AMD is the most common cause of severe loss of eyesight among people 50 and older. And, about 4 million Americans live with low vision, which is defined as chronic visual impairment that cannot be corrected with glasses, contact lenses or medical treatments.
AMD affects the central part of the retina called the “macula.” When AMD damages the macula, the center part of a person’s vision may become blurred or wavy, and a blind spot may develop. Early detection and treatment of AMD is key to helping to prevent significant vision loss.
Two types of AMD include:
“As our population ages, the number of individuals impacted by AMD continues to grow. Many will face difficulties doing the things we sometimes take for granted, such as reading, seeing faces, and driving,” said Jeff Todd, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness. “Our robust collection of resources on AMD and low vision are intentionally created to help minimize vision loss and maintain independence for those impacted by AMD while providing effective tools to the public and providers on ways to save sight.”
As part of AMD and Low Vision Month, Prevent Blindness offers the free AMD GuideMe app. This resource provides a customized overview of AMD along with a tailored resource list and suggested steps to help save sight from the eye disease specific to the individual using the GuideMe app. Prevent Blindness offers additional educational resources including fact sheets and shareable social media graphics in English and Spanish, and dedicated webpages.
New this year, as part of the Prevent Blindness ASPECT Patient Engagement Program Member Spotlight Series, graduate Laurie S., shares her experience with AMD, including her family history with the eye disease, how it impacts her daily activities including the ability to read music, and the importance of support groups “Age-related Macular Degeneration: Laurie’s Story.”
Videos in the Prevent Blindness Focus on Eye Health Series include:
The Prevent Blindness “Living Well With Low Vision” program provides useful information to those with low vision, their care partners and healthcare professionals. Content includes self-help guides, resources for vision loss and mental wellness, information on clinical trials, and much more. Living Well With Low Vision is supported by grants from Amgen and Genentech.
For more information on AMD, please visit PreventBlindness.org/amd. For information on geographic atrophy, please visit PreventBlindness.org/geographic-atrophy.
And, for more information on Living Well With Low Vision, or other general eye health information, please visit lowvision.PreventBlindness.org.
For a listing of organizations and services that provide financial assistance for vision care in English or Spanish, please visit https://preventblindness.org/vision-care-financial-assistance-information.
