Graves' disease is an autoimmune disorder and the most common cause of a medical condition called hyperthyroidism, states Mayo Clinic experts. But Graves' disease causes more than just hyperthyroidism; patients who suffer from it may also experience Graves' ophthalmopathy, in which the tissue behind the eyes swells and pushes the eyes out of the orbital socket, and a less frequent symptom, Graves' dermopathy, which causes the skin on the shins and feet to swell and redden. While Graves' disease has suspected triggers and tends to affect certain populations more so than others, the Mayo Clinic notes that doctors can't pinpoint an exact cause.
Identification
Named after Irish physician Robert Graves, who first described the condition in his 1834 lectures, Graves' disease is characterized by generalized thyroid gland overactivity. The culprit is the body's own immune system, states the American Thyroid Association. The same antibodies that fend off harmful foreign invaders, such as bacteria, launch an attack on the hapless thyroid gland by binding themselves to the thyroid cells and stimulating them to produce more thyroid hormone than necessary to regulate the body's metabolism. Graves' disease may be confirmed through a blood test to ascertain if thyroid-stimulating antibodies (TSAb) are present, in conjunction with a physical examination, radioactive thyroid scan and other blood work to assess thyroid levels.
Effects
The National Graves' Disease Foundation notes that women are substantially more at risk for the disorder, with eight times as many men than women suffering from the disease. In most cases, the disease manifests in the middle years. However, men, children and elderly persons can also get Graves' disease as well.
Heredity
The NGDF notes that among the many factors that go into the development of the disease, genetic predisposition to autoimmune disorders is one of them. The ATA suggests that if you have hyperthyroidism and don't know if it's caused by Graves' disease to look into your family tree for related autoimmune disorders, such as juvenile diabetes, pernicious anemia or vitiligo. Other relatives may have suffered from either hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism, while the hair of others may have turned gray at a very early age (twenties).
Considerations
Many doctors, including Robert Graves himself, suspect that very intense emotions, particularly stress or grief, such as that which follows the death of a loved one, can trigger Graves' disease in those who have a propensity for autoimmune disorders. Graves noted that many of his patients suffered from stressful events several months before they began to show symptoms of hyperthyroidism. The NGDF notes that in some cases it develops after pregnancy or a viral infection.
Treatment
The symptoms of Graves' disease can be treated, but there is no cure. Hyperthyroidism can be resolved with anti-thyroid drugs that inhibit production of the thyroid hormone (the least invasive method), or the thyroid can be destroyed using radioactive iodine or removed surgically. However, resolving hyperthyroidism takes away only one symptom of the disease. Around half of those with Graves' disease experience Graves' ophthalmopathy, notes Mayo Clinic expert Rebecca Bahn, M.D. Graves' ophthalmopathy is treated with oral prednisone or radiation, or sometimes waiting for the condition to progress to the point where surgical intervention is appropriate.
