Graves Disease Symptoms

Graves' disease, an autoimmune disease, most commonly affects the thyroid and leads to overproduction of the hormone thyroxin. It causes the thyroid to grow to twice its size or more and be overactive. There are related hyperthyroid symptoms like increased heartbeat, disturbed sleep, muscle weakness and irritability. Graves' disease can also affect the eyes, causing the eyes to bulge. Other systems of the body, including the skin and reproductive organs also get affected. The disease can develop at any age in both the sexes. One cannot stop the immune system from attacking the thyroid gland but treating the disease can reduce the symptoms and decrease thyroxin production.

Graves' disease, more common in women, occurs frequently between the ages of 20 and 40. The disease can arise after an infection or emotional or physical stress. It can be a familial tendency. The formation of auto antibodies that bind to receptors in thyroid cell membranes characterizes the disease.

The common symptoms of Graves' disease are anxiety, irritability, difficulty in sleeping, fatigue, irregular heartbeat, tremor in the hands or fingers, perspiring too much, heat sensitivity, weight loss, brittle hair, light menstruation, frequent bowel movement and goiter. The eyes can show mild symptoms of Graves' ophthalmopathy. The eyes bulge out as tissues and muscles behind the eyes swell and the eyeballs move forward. One has the sensation of sand in either or both the eyes, the eyes become reddened and the lids and tissues around the eyes swell. Sometimes, ulcers can occur on the cornea and the eye movements get limited. As a result the vision becomes double or blurred.

Sometimes, Graves' dermopathy can occur where the skin on the shins and top of the feet swell and turn red. Other parts of the body like the nervous system, lungs, digestive system, muscles and the reproductive system can also get affected in the disease. Though the exact causes for the occurrence of Graves' disease are not known, doctors believe many factors like heredity, sex, stress and age can determine the chances of developing the disease.

Graves' disease is not fatal but thyroid storm, a complication of the disease, can become fatal for the heart, liver or kidney. This complication can be due to a stressful event and occurs suddenly. The symptoms of thyroid storm include high blood pressure, extreme irritability, vomiting, rapid heart rate, high fever, delirium and coma.

For diagnosing Graves' disease, the doctor looks for a goiter or an enlarged thyroid gland. Tremor, a rapid pulse and any other evidence of the disease are also checked. Blood test is done to check the thyroid function. Sometimes, the doctor can also ask for a thyroid scan and a radioactive-iodine uptake test. These tests help to find out if the entire thyroid gland is overactive or just a portion of it.

The treatment of the disease depends upon the age and condition of the patient. Certain drugs can inhibit the production of the thyroid hormone and provide relief from the symptoms. Radioactive iodine can destroy a part of the infected gland thus reducing the production of the hormone. The third treatment is to remove the affected part of the thyroid gland surgically.

• Matt Thompson
• 08/06/2009, 6:59 AM
• 0 Comments