Thyroid and Colour Vision

[RedApple]

An article in the Guardian the other day, has prompted me to post about the effect of thyroid hormone levels on our vision. A subject that does crop up occasionally here, but I've not seen it specifically mentioned recently.

Almost all opticians that I've ever encountered have either denied that hypOthyroidism affects vision, and/or insisted that eye issues only occur with hypERthyroidism.

I know I'm not the only one here that knows differently from personal experience. Blurred vision, light sensitivity, dry eyes etc are common symptoms of thyroid hormone imbalance.

When I first started on thyroid hormone replacement, I experienced a brief loss of all colour vision. Everything turned 100% monochromatic. It was quite a scary experience, but thankfully didn't last more than a few hours. When I mentioned this to doctors, opticians etc. no-one believed me. A few years later, I came across an article that validated my experience:

Thyroid affects colour vision. Thyroid hormone controls the eye‘s visual pigments throughout life mpg.de/1322093/thyroid_affe...

Guardian article (not thyroid related): The big idea: why colour is in the eye of the beholder theguardian.com/books/2023/...

It never ceases to amaze me how little understanding there still is amongst professionals, about the relationship of thyroid hormones to the brain and the eyes.

[helvella]

Although my personal path through the effects of thyroid on vision were incredibly mild compared to what RedApple has described, even I felt:

Impaired colour vision

Impaired depth perception

Lessened ability to cope with oncoming headlamps.

As well as dry eyes.

[greygoose in reply to helvella]

Lessened ability to cope with oncoming headlamps.

Yes! I had that. And it's improved with optimal thyroid levels.

Although I haven't had any of the other problems mentioned. Except that I know I see colours differently to other people (I thought that was just part of being a human individual?). For example, I used to ask my if she'd seen my mauve blouse, and she'd say you haven't got a mauve blouse. And when I found it, she'd say that's not mauve, it's grey. Hundreds of examples like that, but that's the first one that comes to mind. And it hasn't improved at all over the years. Not that I mind, I like my colours.

[greygoose in reply to greygoose]

That was a quick like! lol Are you able to see replies before the Reply button is clicked?

[RedApple in reply to greygoose]

Ditto the oncoming headlamps. I realised I'd been dealing with that for a very long time before hypo diagnosis.

[asiatic in reply to greygoose]

I see colours slightly differently with each eye so it's fun switching between them 😄

[greygoose in reply to asiatic]

Oh! I've never heard of that before. Must be interesting. How do you manage at traffic lights?

[asiatic in reply to greygoose]

The TED has left me with double vision so safer for everyone if I don't drive now !

[shaws in reply to asiatic]

I'm sorry you have double-vision due to TED.

[asiatic in reply to shaws]

Thanks. It is controlled by wearing a stick on fresnel prism on my glasses. This in theory would allow me to drive but as my eyes are also very light sensitive I just feel it best not to. Instead I can sit on a bus with my kindle changing eyes to make the grey background appear either pink or blue 😂

[asiatic]

I read about this a few years ago and mentioned it to the opthalmologist treating me for TED which was affecting my colour vision - he had never heard of thyroid levels affecting cone opsins ! About the same time I read about an opthalmologist looking for volunteers for research he was doing on colour vision and TED ( in London I think ) Dose anyone have info on this ?

[RedApple in reply to asiatic]

'an opthalmologist looking for volunteers for research he was doing on colour vision and TED 

'Dose anyone have info on this ?

Oh, good question, I don't recall seeing anything about it so hope we can get more info on this!

[helvella in reply to asiatic]

I did a search in EuropePMC (pubmed) which found several papers reporting impaired colour vision in thyroid eye issues:

europepmc.org/search?query=...

Playing with the search terms might help. But colour vision impairment is clearly an issue which is known.

[DippyDame]

It never ceases to amaze me how little understanding there still is amongst professionals, about the relationship of thyroid hormones to the brain and the eyes.

Absolutely.... and the rest if the body too!

I have both Chronic UTI and Chronic Diverticulitis and other niggles....I've said to medics:" I'm sure low cellular T3 is the cause". And my eyesight is very poor too!

Response, just blank expressions, yet research does indeed show links.

Given that every cell in the body needs adequateT3 it is a disgrace that this "lack of understanding" aka ignorance abounds!

[shaws in reply to DippyDame]

I'm sorry you're having a problem with your eyesight and it must be very stressful.

I hope, for your sake, that you be offered a trial of liothyronine (T3) as it is the 'active thyroid hormone' required in all of our T3 receptor cells and they - in turn - send out "waves" to the receptor cells.

I must also state that I'm not medically qualified but I would not allow any professional remove T3 from being prescribed.

[DippyDame in reply to shaws]

Thank you shaws ... I've been T3 only for about 5 years

I self source and self medicate so in control of my T3.....they can,'t remove that!

I'm having cataract surgery / right eye later this month...already had left eye done. I now have AMD in that eye.

I suspect low cellular T3 is at the bottom of my eye problems. But then.I blame that for all my various health issues!

Hope you are keeping well

.

[shaws in reply to DippyDame]

Thankfully I feel well but had no problems with eyes until diagnosed with two cataracts that were removed but am still not too happy. The first op went well but the second I wasn't too happy with result.

I wish you well on your forthcoming op.

[DippyDame in reply to shaws]

Thank you....take care.

[Zephyrbear]

Crikey! This is bad news for me… depending on how you look at it. I make my living as an artist, so my colour vision is very important to me, although I haven’t noticed any changes in that. Perhaps, unknown to me, my art may have morphed into something more interesting…

However, I had to stop driving at night as I developed a ‘prism’ effect in my eye which gave oncoming headlights and street lights a ‘starburst’ effect. Extremely distracting, uncomfortable and dangerous!

[helvella in reply to Zephyrbear]

There are many papers about art, artists and eyesight. This one caught my eye (so to speak!) as it seems to be substantial rather than two lines saying Monet had bad eyesight.

Trans Am Ophthalmol Soc. 2008 Dec; 106: 402–425.

PMCID: PMC2646426

PMID: 19277248

The Visual Difficulties of Selected Artists and Limitations of Ophthalmological Care During The 19th and Early 20th Centuries (An AOS Thesis)

James G. Ravin, MD MS

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

[Zephyrbear]

Thank you for that link. I’ve read the first bit about Homer Martin, whose wife doubted he looked kindly on lessons (something I can identify with having had numerous arguments about style with people who purported to be my teachers…) and it’s fascinating! I shall read the rest of it later! My optician did tell me at my last consultation that I too had cataracts developing in both my eyes, so I may be looking at surgery fairly soon-ish depending on waiting lists… I’m seeing him again on Friday.

[DippyDame in reply to Zephyrbear]

Good luck with the cataract op.

Local waiting list is around 2 years for a consultation....so I've opted to go private because I'm sick of living in a sepia toned fog!!

Waiting time for consultation, 3 weeks with op to follow in 3/4 weeks

Another mockery of what once was an excellent NHS service

Try to get referred asap!

[Zephyrbear in reply to DippyDame]

At my last consultation with the optician, I was told one of my eyes was worse than the other although the cateracts were in both, so I'm waiting until my appointment on Friday to find out how much they have deteriorated further before looking at going for the private option. I feel horrible about this because I have always felt strongly about supporting the NHS, having both worked for, and been a patient with it, but my eyesight must come first as my living depends on it. I have spent the last two years saving up for the surgery.

[RedApple in reply to Zephyrbear]

'cataracts developing' may not qualify you even for the NHS waiting list, which as DD says, is typically around two years. Your cataracts need to be 'bad enough' to even get on the waiting list. I had one done privately last year because of the long waiting list, and optician tells me I don't qualify for the other eye to be done on NHS, because even though it's bad, it's not bad enough!

[Zephyrbear in reply to RedApple]

Thank you for your reply. Yes, the optician told me two years ago that the waiting lists then were two years but that my eyes hadn't deteriorated enough to be done yet. It's a disgrace that we have to wait until we're almost blind before we can even get on to the waiting list, which is why I shall probably go for the private option too.

[DippyDame in reply to Zephyrbear]

My left eye is very poor and has had both a cataract op and a vitrectomy and now AMD....so pretty useless!

The NHS wouldn't offer me a consultation far less an op until my right eye vision had deteriorated further (in case the op didn't work and left me with only the minimal vision in the left.....really gives you confidence!!)

I'm struggling a bit now so asked my optometrist to initiate private treatment....it means a 4 hour car journey to go to the surgeon of my choice but I know it's the right decision to act now.....before I fall off my old perch!!!

I'd suggest you just do it asap.....the world will look brighter!

[Hidden]

Really scary, RedApple. Glad you got your colour vision back.

I'm in the early days of treatment with compounded DTE and have noticed a slight clearness in my vision. There seems to be a little improvement in hearing, too.

As everything is all about balance, I wonder if the DTE (with its range of thyroid hormones) is less likely to cause the concerning side-effects experienced by so many on levo?

[SarahJane1471]

I remember when I first started Levo 2 yrs ago I suddenly started seeing the world in Ultra HD!!! I had not realised how bad my vision had got. It was like switching from analogue TV to digital. Colour were so vibrant again😬