What does TRO mean in BRITISH MEDICINE

Thyroid related orbitopathy (TRO) is an autoimmune disorder characterized by the swelling of the muscles and fatty tissues around a person's eyes, causing irritation and visual problems. It often occurs in conjunction with an overactive thyroid, or hyperthyroidism, though it can also be linked to hypothyroidism. TRO can cause damage to the eye muscles and vision problems including double vision and dry eyes.

The most common signs of TRO include swelling or puffiness above or below the eyes, protrusion of the eyeballs from their sockets, dry eyes, double vision, restricted eye movement and light sensitivity. Other symptoms may include redness in one or both eyes, excessive tearing, tenderness along the sides of the face near the temples, pain in the eyes or forehead when looking side to side, drooping eyelids and fatigue.

To diagnose TRO a physician will typically perform a physical exam focusing on facial features such as swelling around the eye sockets and any other unusual physical characteristics present. Blood tests will then be used to measure thyroid hormone levels as well as other blood markers associated with autoimmune conditions. Further tests such as scans may be used if any suspicious results appear in order to confirm a diagnosis of TRO.

Although there are effective treatments for TRO that can stop its progression and manage it long-term without long-term harm being done, it is important to seek medical attention in order to prevent permanent damage from occurring due to this condition. As some cases may worsen with time left untreated longer periods without treatment could result in permanent damage being sustained.

It is thought that an overactive thyroid gland caused by Graves' disease is responsible for activating an immune response which then leads to inflammation within orbital tissues. This inflammation then causes swelling of fatty tissues and muscles inside and around the eye resulting in characteristic symptoms.

Treatment for TROP will depend on a persons individual situation but typically involves medication such as steroids or immunosuppressants to reduce inflammation and correct any imbalances within hormones systems. Surgery may also be necessary if severe cases persist after multiple courses of treatment have failed.

Recovery time depends greatly on how aggressive your case is but generally recovery should start within two weeks with full resolution expected between three months up to two years depending on severity.

In some cases there can be long-term effects depending on how far along someone's condition was before they received treatment. If too much tissue destruction has occurred due to leaving symptoms untreated then permanent damage could occur leading to corneal thinning resulting in vision problems.