Graves disease

General or Other | General Practice | Graves disease (Disease)


Description

Hyperthyroidism means overactivity of the thyroid gland, resulting in too much thyroid hormone in the bloodstream. The over-secretion of thyroid hormones leads to overactivity of the bodys metabolism. In newborns, the most common cause of an overactive thyroid is called neonatal Graves disease, which can be life threatening. However, hyperthyroidism rarely occurs in children and adolescents.

Symptoms may include anxiety, breast enlargement in men, difficulty concentrating, double vision, protrusion of the eyes, eye irritation and tearing, fatigue, frequent bowel movements, goiter, heat intolerance, increased appetite, increased sweating, insomnia, menstrual irregularities in women, muscle weakness, nervousness, racing heart.

Causes and Risk factors

Graves disease is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism (60-90% of all cases), and usually presents itself during early adolescence. It has a powerful hereditary component, affects up to 2% of the female population, and is between five and ten times as common in females as in males.

About 30-50% of people with Graves disease will also suffer from Graves ophthalmopathy (a protrusion of one or both eyes), caused by inflammation of the eye muscles by attacking autoantibodies.

Diagnosis and Treatment

The treatment for Graves disease includes medications to control hyperthyroidism, beta-blockers, and surgery. With treatment, most people with Graves disease live normal lives. ...