|  | Conditions Treatments | Thyroid Disease

Prednisone & Thyroid Disease

People with Graves' disease, a disorder of the thyroid, sometimes experience visual symptoms. In these situations, the steroid prednisone is used to reduce inflammation.

  1. Identification

    • People with Graves' disease may experience eyes that are dry, itchy, red and swollen. In some cases, they will also experience double vision.

    Benefits

    • Your doctor may prescribe the steroid prednisone to provide relief from the visual symptoms and irritation.

    Warning

    • Prednisone use is only recommend for a short time, however, since the drug has many side effects such as mood swings and weight gain.

    Misconceptions

    • Once the use of prednisone is discontinued, your symptoms will most likely return.

    Potential

    • According to the New York Thyroid Center, 5 percent of people with the disease will experience visual loss due to swelling. Prednisone, used in conjunction with other therapies, will be prescribed in this situation.

Thyroid Disease - Related Articles