Graves' Disease

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Graves’ disease was named after Robert J. Graves, MD, around the 1830’s. It is an autoimmune disease indicated by hyperthyroidism due to circulating autoantibodies, which is an antibody that attacks the person’s own body. The immune system attacks the thyroid gland, which causes it to produce too much thyroxine. Thyroxine is a hormone that helps control growth and also regulates metabolism in the body. While the thyroxine levels are high the patient’s metabolic rate increases, which can have an effect on their physical appearance as well as their frame of mind. Graves’ disease is the number one cause of hyperthyroidism in the U.S.

There are many signs and symptoms of Graves’ disease. Symptoms of Graves’ disease include anxiety, irritability, insomnia, tiredness, irregular or accelerated heart rate, and sensitivity to heat. Sign of Graves’ disease are tremors in the hands and fingers, weight loss, brittle hair, goiter, menstrual cycle changes, and more frequent bowel movements. People with Graves’ disease also report having symptoms of Graves’ opthalmopathy, also known as thyroid eye disease. This can include bulging of the eyes, itchy eyes, red eyes, sensitivity to light, and swelling around the eyelids. More severe cases of opthalmopathy include corneal ulcers, double vision, blurred vision, and restricted eye movements. According to a journal published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, “Smoking greatly increases the risk for Graves’ opthalmopathy. Among patients with Graves’ opthalmopathy, smokers had more severe eye disease than nonsmokers. Smoking also appears to be one of the multiple factors inducing Graves’ disease in genetically predisposed individuals.” One more sign of Graves’ disease, though it is no...

... middle of paper ...

...ring that it is not known what causes Graves’ disease to occur, the fact that there are so many treatment options is astonishing.

Works Cited

Christian Nordqvist. “What Is Graves’ Disease? What Causes Graves’ Disease?”

Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Int., 6 Nov. 2009. Web

10 Mar. 2012. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170005.php

Sai-Ching Jim Yeung, MD, PhD, FACP. “Graves’ Disease”

emedicine.medscape. 30 Sep. 2011. Web

10 Mar. 2012 http://www.emedicine.medscape.com/article/120619-overview#showall

Dr. Asha Thomas. “Treatment of Graves’ Disease”

Baltimore Sun. 19 Oct. 2009

10 Mar. 2012. http://www.baltimoresun.com/2009-10-19/news/0910180070_1_graves-disease-underactive-thyroid-thyroid-disease

Mark F. Prummel, Wilmar M. Wiersinga. “Smoking and Risk of Graves’ Disease”

The Journal of the American Medical Association. 1993

10 Mar. 2012

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