Marty Feldman, a much-loved British comedian, perhaps best known for his role as Igor (pronounced Eye-Gor) in Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein (1974), suffered from Graves’ disease. There's a saying, "Your face is your fortune", and Feldman got a double-whammy as his nose was mangled in his youth in a boxing match and his trademark bulging orbs were the result of both a hyperactive thyroid and a botched operation after a car accident in his younger years. Feldman died of a heart attack while filming in Mexico City in 1982, aged 48.

Graves' disease is an immune system disorder that results in the overproduction of thyroid hormones (hyperthyroidism). About 30% of people with Graves' disease show some signs and symptoms of a condition known as Graves' ophthalmopathy, or thyroid eye disease, with inflammation and other immune system events affecting muscles and tissues around the eyes. Symptoms may include bulging eyes, a gritty sensation in the eyes, pressure or pain in the eyes, puffy or retracted eyelids, reddened or inflamed eyes, light sensitivity, double vision and vision loss.