What are Graves’ Disease Symptoms
Graves’ Disease is an autoimmune disorder in which the body attacks the thyroid gland. This disorder can be diagnosed by blood tests and gives off certain symptoms.
Some people with Graves’ disease will have no symptoms at all or some typical like a rapid heartbeat, fatigue, weight loss, and irritability. Others will have more severe symptoms like bulging eyes, tremors in muscles, a feeling of being hyperactive, an inability to concentrate for more than five minutes at a time periods of extreme tiredness.
The most common symptom is goiter – an enlargement of the thyroid gland that causes it to stick out from the neck – which can make swallowing difficult and sleep uncomfortable.
Treatment for Graves’ Disease: Surgery, Radioactive Iodine Treatment, Antithyroid Drugs
Graves’ disease is a disorder that causes the body to produce too much thyroid hormone. The disorder can lead to serious problems, including heart attack, high blood pressure, and bone thinning. Treatment for Graves’ disease includes surgery, radioactive iodine treatment, and antithyroid drugs.
Surgery: Graves’ disease is often treated with surgery to remove all or part of the thyroid gland. This operation can be done in a few different ways. One way is through an incision in the neck that exposes the thyroid gland. Another way is through an incision between the voice box and windpipe (called a tracheostomy). The doctor removes all or part of the thyroid gland with either a surgical knife (called an electrocautery) or laser beam (called a laser).
Complications of Graves’ Disease
Graves’ disease is an autoimmune disorder, which means that the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue. Graves’ disease can get complicated because it can affect many different organs in the body, including the eyes, heart and thyroid. Graves’ disease is one of the most common endocrine disorders and affects more women than men.
Complications of Graves’ Disease can include eye muscle inflammation (Graves orbitopathy) or a goiter (enlarged thyroid gland). The goiter needs to be removed surgically, but orbitopathy may not need to be treated. The heart may also be affected by Graves’ disease and it’s important to monitor your blood pressure for any changes. If you have these complications, you may also experience anxiety or depression due to physical effects on mood.
Possible Causes of Graves’ Disease, Including Autoimmune Disorders and Genetic Factors
Graves’ disease is an autoimmune disorder that can be caused by a variety of factors.
Autoimmune disorders can cause Graves’ disease. One of the most common symptoms of autoimmune disorders is hyperthyroidism, which is characterized by an overproduction of thyroid hormones. Some people will develop Graves’ disease as a result and it can also lead to other health problems such as heart disease, respiratory issues, and diabetes.
Genetic factors can also cause Graves’ disease. One study found that people who have one or two copies of the HLA-DR3 gene are 40% more likely to develop the condition than those without the gene. Other studies have found similar results with HLA-DR4 and HLA-DQ2 genes as well.
Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK448195/