Graves Disease

Thyroid hormones are essential and extremely important in the body, but their increased secretion, as in Graves’ disease, leads to problems in the body, which might be serious sometimes.

Graves’ disease

The thyroid gland is located in the front of the neck, under the larynx, and it produces the thyroid hormones that are mainly responsible for the metabolism process (converting the food into energy) in the body, and it also has a role in controlling the body’s temperature and heart rate.

Graves’ disease is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks healthy tissues in the thyroid gland and causes problems.

Graves’ disease occurs in women more than men, and it often occurs in the ages 30-60 years old.

Causes and risk factors leading to Graves’ disease

There isn’t a known reason for autoimmune disease in general, yet there are things that trigger the immune system to attack different parts in the body, as in Graves’ disease, in which the immune system attacks the thyroid gland and makes it produce thyroid hormones more than normal. Some risk factors that might trigger the immune system are:

• Genetic factor.
• Stress.
• Some infections.
• Pregnancy.
• Smoking.
• Having other autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis and type 1 diabetes.

Symptoms of Graves’ disease

• Being nervous and irritated.
• Palpitations.
• Mild tremors in the hands or fingers.
• Weight loss despite the increased appetite.
• Goiter (enlarged thyroid gland).
• Diarrhea.
• Changes in the menstrual cycle in females.
• Increased heat sensitivity and sweating.
• The skin becomes moist and thin.
• Insomnia.
• Fatigue and muscle weakness.
• Hair loss.
• Changes in sexual desire.
• In some cases, thick and discolored skin patches might manifest, especially on the shins or tops of the feet, and this condition is called Graves’ dermopathy.
• Graves’ ophthalmopathy, which occurs in about 25% of the patients and causes puffed and bulgy eyes, a gritty feeling in the eyes, inflamed or red eyes, light sensitivity, pain or pressure in the eyes, blurred or double vision, and sometimes vision loss.

Complications of Graves’ disease

• Thyroid storm, which is a rare condition and means that the thyroid gland produces large amounts of the thyroid hormones in a short time, and it’s a life-threatening condition.
• Osteoporosis.
• Heart problems.
• Pregnancy problems, such as miscarriage, preterm birth, poor fetal growth, hyperthyroidism in the fetus, preeclampsia, and congestive heart failure in the pregnant woman.

Diagnosis of Graves’ disease

• Blood tests.
• Imaging tests.
• Radioactive iodine reuptake test.

Management of Graves’ disease

There isn’t a cure for Graves’ disease, but the symptoms can be managed by:

• Specific medications.
• Radioactive iodine therapy.
• Surgery to remove the thyroid gland in some cases.