Graves' disease, also known as thyroid eye disease, is a condition that stems from thyroid disease, occurring when a thyroid condition causes eye symptoms such as eye irritation, vision problems and bulging eyes. Controlling thyroid disease with medications or other treatments may not improve eye-related symptoms, and some people look for dietary answers, such as using a gluten-free diet to resolve the condition. However, removing gluten from your diet does not appear to have a benefit for Graves' disease.
Gluten
Gluten is the protein found in certain types of grain. A gluten-free diet requires a person to avoid products that contain barley, farina, wheat, graham flour, semolina and spelt, along with other types of grains. Many processed foods contain these gluten sources, and you will need to read labels carefully if you intend to experiment with a gluten-free diet.
Studies
Researchers have examined the role of gluten in thyroid disease, and the studies do not indicate that gluten intolerance will cause problems or that avoiding gluten will improve the condition. Though these studies do not specifically evaluate gluten and Graves' disease, the connection between Graves' and the thyroid indicates the likelihood that a gluten-free diet will not have an impact on this condition.
Trying Gluten-Free
If you want to try eliminating gluten for a period of time, talk with your doctor about the impact of a gluten-free diet on your health. Your doctor can help you create a dietary plant that will provide you with the nutrients you need while helping you avoid gluten products. She may want to follow up with you regularly to monitor for any changes in your symptoms or overall condition.
If you note an improvement in your symptoms you should not stop using medications unless directed by your doctor. Discuss these changes with your doctor and she can make any necessary adjustments to your medications.
Treatment
Doctors will typically prescribe medication to treat thyroid disease and the inflammation of the tissues, and these treatments may help control the symptoms of Graves' disease. However, some people with Graves' disease may only see an improvement in some of the symptoms, or they may not have an improvement in Graves' symptoms at all. In such cases, your doctor will help you treat the symptoms of your condition, such as using artificial tears for surface dryness or prescribing glasses to help with vision changes.
References
- University of Illinois at Chicago: Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences: Thyroid Eye Disease
- MayoClinic.com; Gluten-Free Diet; January 2010
- "Journal of Gastroenterology"; Thyroid-Related Autoantibodies and Celiac Disease: A Role for a Gluten-Free Diet?; E. Mainardi, et al.; September 2002
- Clinical Medicine & Research; Celiac Disease and Autoimmune Thyroid Disease; Chin Lye Ch'ng, MRCPI, et al.; 2007
- PubMed Health; Celiac Disease -- Sprue; January 2010
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