First Thyroid Eye Disease (TED) Awareness Week to Increase Education and Understanding of Vision-Threatening Disease

Today marks the start of the first-ever Thyroid Eye Disease (TED) Awareness Week, taking place from Nov. 16 to Nov. 20, to increase awareness of TED – a serious, progressive, and vision-threatening rare autoimmune disease. TED Awareness Week has been established through a collaboration among Horizon Therapeutics and advocacy organizations including the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association (AARDA), the Alliance for Eye and Vision Research (AEVR), the Graves’ Disease and Thyroid Foundation (GDATF), and Prevent Blindness. Each organization is committed to the TED community and has a variety of activities planned, including the sharing of educational information and resources throughout the week.

While TED most commonly occurs in people with Graves’ disease, it is a separate disease that can occur without the presence of Graves’ disease and requires a different treatment approach.^1,2,3 Symptoms may include eye grittiness, redness, swelling and pain, light sensitivity, eye bulging, double vision and facial disfigurement.^1,2 TED is a rare disease that is often misunderstood and misdiagnosed, so it is critical to educate people who are at risk for TED so that they can better recognize the symptoms, know how to find a TED Specialist, and feel empowered to get the support and care they need. It is also critical to educate the public about TED so that everyone can be supportive of those impacted by this disease.

To commemorate the first TED Awareness Week, Horizon is launching TED Today, a daily, online talk show designed to educate, empower and entertain viewers by delivering valuable information from a variety of perspectives, including TED patients, caregivers, and specialists. TED Today will be posted to the Listen to Your Eyes Facebook community page each morning during TED Awareness Week. TED Today will focus on a range of topics relevant to the TED community, including the critical role of the caregiver, building a strong care team, learning to be your own best advocate, and maintaining positive mental health while living with TED. TED Today will also feature patient advocacy organization interviews and information advising patients and caregivers where they can find important online resources, including a tool for tracking symptoms and a TED Specialist Finder.