13 Symptoms of Graves’ Disease

Graves’ disease, also known as toxic diffuse goiter, is a disorder of the thyroid gland. The thyroid gland is a small, butterfly shaped gland which is present on the front of the neck and is responsible for producing thyroid hormone. Thyroid hormone regulates the metabolism of the body and if it is produced in excess, nearly every organ of the body is affected. Graves' disease is characterized by this increased level of thyroid hormone in the blood. It is an autoimmune disorder whereby the immune system produces antibodies which act against the normal function of the thyroid gland, resulting in the symptoms of Graves’ disease. If you have been diagnosed with other auto immune disorders, or have a family history of auto immune disease , you have a greater risk of developing Graves' disease. Although patients with Graves' disease may not demonstrate all of the symptoms described below, they are likely to suffer most of them. 1 Neck Swelling. Graves’ disease often leads to swelling of the thyroid gland which presents itself as a swelling on the front of the neck. This swelling is diffuse and moves up and down with swallowing, a common characteristic of thyroid gland swelling. The swelling is usually painless , but can cause discomfort. If the swelling becomes large it can put pressure on the surrounding structures and cause difficulty swallowing food and breathing. 2 Increased Heart Rate. Patients of Graves’ disease complain of a fast pulse. Normal pulse rate is between 60-100 times per minute, while in Graves’ disease pulse rate is above 100 times per minute. Patients experience palpitations and sometimes an irregular heart beat. This symptom is very common and can cause a lot of discomfort. More symptoms on next page.... 3 Anxiety and Irritability. Increased levels of thyroid hormone in the blood causes anxiety and irritability. If you are feeling anxious without any reason, it could be due to your thyroid gland. 4 Heat Intolerance. This is another important symptom. Patients who suffer from Graves’ disease fail to tolerate heat or rise in temperature and usually demonstrate increased sweating and perspiration, often in the palms of the hand. 5 Diarrhea and Frequent Bowel Movements. Patients sometimes complain of long-standing diarrhea which has no obvious cause. If your dietary and hygiene habits are good and your diarrhea returns frequently, Graves’s disease could be the reason. 6 Increased Hunger with Weight Loss. People who suffer from Graves’ disease have an increased appetite and their dietary intake is usually high. However, this increase in food intake does not result in weight gain and can often still result in weight loss. If you have noticed a prominent change in your appetite recently and eat more frequently without gaining weight or you have lost weight consider seeing your doctor for proper diagnosis. 7 Sleep Problems. Patients of Graves’ disease have a hard time falling asleep. You may notice a visible decrease in the amount of hours you sleep compared to before. 8 Tremors. Graves’ disease causes fine tremors of the hands. These tremors are most prominent when the patient extends their arms. 9 Menstrual Abnormalities. If you are a female with Graves’ disease, you may experience menstrual abnormalities. You may experience heavy bleeding, light bleeding or irregular bleeding. Light bleeding is the most common. This is because thyroid hormone may indirectly affects your menstrual cycle. 10 Hair Loss. Excess of thyroid hormone in the blood can lead to hair loss. So, if you have recently started noticing increased hair fall in the absence of any other factor, thyroid disease could be a reason. 11 Eyes. Eye complaints are a characteristic of Graves’ disease and it is usually not present in other diseases that lead to raised thyroid hormone in the blood. Eye symptoms are experienced by about one-third of patients suffering from this disease. Patients may experience weakness of the eye muscles, swelling of the eyelids, double vision and bulging of the eyes. 12 Skin. Some people with Graves’ disease may notice a reddish thickening of their skin, usually over the shin area. This is called Graves’ dermopathy or pretibial myxedema. This does not usually cause any pain in the affected area. 13 Muscle Weakness and Tiredness. Although this is a non-specific symptom that can be present in many other diseases, both lethargy and muscle weakness are also present in Graves’ disease. If you are experiencing any of the above symptoms without obvious causes then please see a doctor for proper diagnosis and treatment.

10 Hair Loss

11 Eyes

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