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Understanding Graves' disease

Graves' thyroid disease - learning more
 
Graves’ thyroid disease often does not get the attention needed from medical professionals, perhaps because it is rarely fatal. It is serious for the millions of individuals who at times, are having problems with their thyroid and experience extreme highs and lows physically and emotionally. The impact on their personalities as they struggle with Graves’ can severely strain their relationship with family and friends.
 
Graves' disease is an autoimmune disease
 
Diseases of the immune system have a genetic predisposition. In a normal body, the immune system defends itself against germs and viruses. An autoimmune disease means the body’s immune system acts against its own healthy cells and tissues. Some other examples of autoimmune disease are Hashimoto’s (under active thyroid) disease, thyroid eye disease, diabetes mellitus, arthritis and vitiligo (loss of skin pigment).
 
Graves' disease involves the thyroid gland
 
Graves’ disease, also known as toxic diffuse goiter, is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism - a disorder that occurs when the thyroid gland makes more thyroid hormone than the body needs.
 
The thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland in the front of the neck below the larynx, or voice box. The thyroid gland makes two thyroid hormones, triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4). Thyroid hormones affect metabolism, brain development, breathing, heart and nervous system functions, body temperature, muscle strength, skin dryness, menstrual cycles, weight, and cholesterol levels.
 
Thyroid hormone production is regulated by another hormone called thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), which is made by the pituitary gland located in the brain.
 
In Graves’ disease, the immune system makes antibodies called thyroid-stimulating immunoglobulin (TSI) that attach to thyroid cells. TSI mimics the action of TSH and stimulates the thyroid to make too much thyroid hormone. Sometimes the antibodies can instead block thyroid hormone production, leading to a confusing clinical picture. The diagnosis and treatment of Graves’ disease is often performed by an endocrinologist—a doctor who specializes in the body’s hormone-secreting glands.
 
Graves' thyroid disease - the facts
 
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) provides the following statistics:
  • Graves’ Disease affects approximately 2 to 3% of the population or almost 10 million people. The figure may be higher because some may have eye involvement but not diagnosed with thyroid problems.
  • Graves' is five to 10 times more common in women than men.
  • Graves' usually occurs in middle age, but also occurs in children, adolescents and the elderly.