Often, women have some grave’s disease for which they can never find out the proper treatment. But Graves disease is one of the rare diseases which is found in women but is quite manageable.
This autoimmune Disease is found to attack the thyroid. This small gland in the neck region in human beings is called the thyroid and is responsible for the T3 and T4 hormones that regulate the utilization of the energy in our body. The pituitary gland manages the thyroid hormones. This small gland in the human brain is the one that stimulates the thyroid hormone TSH and accelerates the process of thyroid making in the body.
In Grave’s Disease, the immune system creates antibodies that give TSH the impression but are not. Thus the thyroid hormone is produced more, and this is called hyperthyroidism. This overactive thyroid activity in the body leads to other side effects like an increased heart rate and increased metabolism. Grave’s Disease is also related to the other Disease affecting the thyroid gland – Hashimoto’s Disease.
Grave’s Disease inflicted people have trouble sleeping, a large goiter, a lot of irritability, increased sweat, a rapid heartbeat, tremors in hand, incessant bowel moments, fatigue, weight loss, and a lesser pattern of periods.
Sometimes Grave’s Disease also results in eye changes. The tissue behind the eyes gets swollen and causes a lot of discomfort in both eyes. Commonly such eye problems are not seen in people having normal thyroid functions.
Grave’s Disease also causes a lot of reddening and thickening of the skins on areas like the feet and the shins. The Disease usually is not severe and is always painless.
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Signs And Symptoms Of Graves Disease
The Grave’s Disease symptoms are seen very gradually or sometimes suddenly. Sometimes people with Grave’s Disease never show any symptoms at all.
Grave’s Disease is found to affect women more than men. It usually starts after the age of 30. Typically family members who have had thyroid lead the other females in the family to contract the same. Grave’s Disease patients sometimes also get problems such as Vitiligo, rheumatoid arthritis, a disease affecting the joints; Addison’s Disease, which affects the adrenal glands; and Type 1 diabetes causes the blood sugar levels to be very high. Pernicious, a disease that does not allow your body to absorb vitamin B12, and lupus a disease that spoils the skin, joints, and blood vessels?
Causes
Grave’s Disease is mainly caused due to genes, gender, stress, pregnancy, and infection. Whatever the cause be, it is seen that these can be identified and attended to. These days, researchers are working to discover how genes are involved and how we could cure them.
Treatment
When diagnosed out through the thyroid tests that you are a victim of Grave’s Disease, it is better to go to the doctor and get yourself examined well and then increase the capacity to fight this Disease.
Tests
Usually, the tests taken for Grave’s Disease are the thyroid function tests, the radioactive iodine tests ad the Antibody tests.
The thyroid function tests ensure that a blood sample is tested for the body’s amount of thyroid hormone. This level T4 and the TSH become very important. So a very high thyroid level and a low level of TSH are a sign of overactive thyroid.
Radioactive iodine uptake or an RAIU tells us how much iodine is used by the thyroid gland. The higher the thyroid takes, it shows that there is Grave’s Disease in the patient.
The antibody test is to search for Grave’s Disease-related antibodies.
Treatment
Grave’s Disease is then treated with antithyroid medicine, radioactive iodine, surgery, and making the patient aware of what he has to do.
Grave’s Disease is one of the rare diseases found in women more and is not incurable or worrisome.
