All You Need to Know About Graves’ disease

Graves’ disease is an autoimmune disease that occurs due to a hyperactive thyroid gland. For diagnosing this medical condition, an anti-TPO test, a TSH test, and a TPI test are prescribed by a doctor. Read this write-up to know more about this medical condition along with its symptoms, causes, and treatment.

Graves’ disease is an autoimmune disease that occurs due to the overproduction of certain thyroid hormones (hyperthyroidism) leading to a dysfunctional nervous system, body temperature, brain activity, and the like. TSH tests, anti-TPO tests, and several other diagnostic procedures can help diagnose this auto-immune disease in a timely manner. Since this medical condition takes place due to a hyperactive thyroid gland, it is important to figure out the reasons behind this issue.

People who have Graves’ disease often lie in the age group of 30 and 50 years. While some might have this disease due to family history, others might trigger it because of physical or emotional stress. Read on to know more about Graves’ disease, its symptoms, causes, and treatment:

Symptoms of Graves’ disease

Since Graves’ disease has symptoms mimicking hyperthyroidism, early detection can be delayed. The most common sign observed is a tremor in the hands. Along with this, episodes of anxiety and irritability, unexplained weight loss, lack of appetite, and frequent bowel movements are indicators of this medical condition. In females, a change in the menstrual cycles can also be observed while in males, erectile dysfunction is a common occurrence. Besides this, people with Graves’ disease often complain of fatigue, rapid heartbeat, and sleep disturbance in their daily lives. There have been cases with the thyroid gland or goitre getting enlarged, thick red skin developing on the shins or feet, and eyes tend to bulge out along with blurry or complete loss of vision. Moreover, blood tests of individuals indicating lower TSH and higher hormones can also be a sign of Graves’ disease.

Causes of Graves’ disease

The cause of Graves’ disease remains unknown. Individuals with Graves’ disease have an immune system that attacks healthy tissues and cells as it confuses them to be pathogens. Hereditary plays a major role in this medical condition as it can be passed on from one generation to the next. Besides this, stress is a trigger that can be responsible for causing this autoimmune disease in people below the age of forty. The risk of developing Graves’ disease is known to increase significantly if a person is already suffering from another autoimmune disorder such as Crohn’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, etc. Since women have a higher chance of developing Graves’ disease in their immune system than men, they are particularly vulnerable during pregnancy. Smoking is another risk factor that can severely affect vision, also known as Graves' ophthalmopathy.

Treatment

A series of tests are prescribed by a medical practitioner for diagnosing Graves’ disease. These include radioactive iodine uptake, anti-TPO, TSI, and TSH tests. If the results are not in the normal range, then further investigation is required. Along with this, image testing is prescribed by the doctor to scan the thyroid gland for hyperthyroidism. Based on the severity of the condition, treatment is given in the form of anti-thyroid drugs and beta-blockers to manage the symptoms. Radioactive iodine therapy is recommended as well. In some cases, surgery is required in order to remove the thyroid gland.

Reducing stress levels and improving lifestyle habits are prerequisites that people with Graves’ disease should take seriously in order to avoid triggering any symptoms or flare-ups.