Graves' Disease: Symptoms and Treatment

Prevalent in mostly women, Graves' disease has an occurrence rate of less than ¼ of 1% of the existing population. This disease was first noted by Sir Robert Graves, and is now considered to be the most common of all thyroid related disorders. Generally, the onset of Graves' disease will occur when a person reaches middle age; however there are incidents of the disease seen amongst children and even adolescents. Since this disease affects the immune system, it will trigger the excess production of antibodies that will then stimulate and attack a person's thyroid gland, which is considered to be the largest of glands that make up the endocrine system and is located in the neck's inferior. The thyroid gland is responsible for producing hormones that assist in metabolism, growth and other bodily systems functions. So, a person with Graves' disease will have an over growth of the gland itself and an excess overload of thyroid producing hormones, as well as the possibility for the antibodies to attack the muscles of the eyes and the skin on the front of the shin portion of the legs.

Graves' disease may have a link to genetic causes since autoimmune disorders do have genetic predisposition, but Graves' is also linked to external and internal stressors like infections, viruses, pregnancy and life stress, which are all factors that affect the body's immune system, yet the exact cause for the occurrence of this disease is unknown. It is important to note that while this disease in not curable, there is treatment and a person with Graves' can lead a normal life, though the disease itself tends to go through stages of remission where it will disappear completely after months or years. However, a person with untreated Graves' disease can suffer from serious complications, including death, which is why it is important to identify the signs and symptoms of Graves' disease and seek out a proper medical diagnose in order to receive treatment.

As with so many medical conditions, there are common signs and symptoms that may be dismissed as something else, and Graves' disease is no different. In the early stages of Graves' disease, a person may experience symptoms such as fatigue, loss of weight, a feeling of restlessness, rapid heart beats known as tachycardia and changes in their sex drive. There will be more signs and symptoms as the disease progresses and will include weakness of the muscles, intolerance to heat, tremors, more noticeable heart palpitations, profuse sweating, nervousness and mood changes like irritability. They thyroid gland will become enlarged and a doctor will be able to feel the abnormal enlargement when the neck region is felt.

Since the eye muscles may be affected, the person may experience blurry vision or double vision, as well as noticeable changes to the area surrounding the eyes such as redness, dry eye, swelling and the eyes may give the appearance that they are protruding from the sockets; hence, the bulging eye characteristic that goes hand-in-hand with Graves' disease. There may even be dietary and digestive changes like an increase in appetite and more frequent bowel movements. Some other signs that indicate Graves' disease are insomnia or restless sleep, lack of focus and easily distracted attention span, hair changes, lessening of the menstrual cycle in women and unexplained erratic behavior. In rare cases, a person with Graves' disease may see changes to the skin or develop a skin condition known as pretibial myxedema, which causes a lumpy reddish thickening of the skin to appear on the front of the tibia portion of the leg.

After sufficient testing has been done to diagnose Graves' disease, which may include blood tests to check the thyroid levels for thyroxine and triiodothyronine abnormalities and for the presence of abnormal antibodies associated with Graves', and a possible radioactive iodine uptake test to detect a quantity build up of iodine in the thyroid, the doctor will be better able to plan a course of treatment for Graves' disease. Treatment for Graves' disease is aimed at restoring, balancing and controlling the hormone levels of the thyroid, and alleviating discomfort associated with the symptoms that accompany the disease.

The choice for Graves' disease treatment will be dependent upon age of the patient, degree of the disease and the doctors recommended preference. The disease can be treated by means of conventional medications such as beta-blockers to help control symptoms and anti-thyroid medications that regulate and control the levels of hormones produced by the thyroid. The use of radioactive iodine is another effective treatment for iodine, and its effectiveness stems from the radioactive iodine destroying overactive thyroid cells. A more invasive, yet very effective treatment for Graves' disease is a subtotal thyroidectomy, in which a surgeon will remove a portion or the entire thyroid. A person opting for this treatment will have to take the hormone thyroxine to give the body a normal amount of this thyroid hormone.

As for the treatment of symptoms related to the eyes and caused by Graves' disease, there are medications like prednisone that will help lessen the swelling behind the eyes. There is also orbital decompression surgery that can be done, where the surgeon will remove some of the bone between the eye sockets to allow the eye to move back into position. Also, having prisms put into glasses can help alleviate problems with double vision.