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Are you experiencing bulging eyes and the pain in the eyes keeps on increasing? It could be due to Graves disease a condition of the thyroid gland which can cause some serious problems if not treated within time. This is an autoimmune disease caused by hyperthyroidism, a condition that makes our thyroid glands hyperactive. This is one of the most common problems faced due to thyroid.
If Graves disease is not treated within time then one may face the risks of heart failure, arrhythmia, or a stroke. Thus, understanding the oncoming symptoms of it becomes quite important to avoid the risks related to it.
Understanding the causes of Graves disease
There is no specific research that can pinpoint what exactly is the cause of graves disease. However, in this condition, something triggers our immune system to produce an antibody called thyroid-stimulating immunoglobulin short for TSI in excess.
The main role of TSI is to coordinate the thyroid gland by making it active and facilitating the release of thyroid hormones into the bloodstream. TSI produced in excess causes an overproduction of thyroid hormones leads to hyperthyroidism which in turn is responsible for this disease.
The cause of this excess overproduction could be due to genetics, age, and stress. There has been various research which has claimed that women are more prone to get graves disease when compared to men.
What are the symptoms of this?
The symptoms of this condition coincide quite well with the symptoms of hyperthyroidism. These symptoms may take some time to become visible and prevalent.
Common Symptoms
Some of them are palpitations, nervousness, irritation, rapid weight loss, goiter (enlarged thyroid gland), diarrhea, or sleep problems.
Graves eye disease
Grave disease can also cause graves eye disease which causes bulging in the eye accompanied with pain, pressure, sensitivity to light, and blurry vision. This condition also called Graves Ophthalmopathy occurs when our immune system starts attacking tissue in our eyes.
Similarly, there is another condition called graves dermopathy which creates thickened skin around the shins causing discomfort and pain.
Effects on women
Women may experience irregular periods, and weakness in muscles, and face difficulty in becoming pregnant. This is because women have a more vigorous immune response than men, thus in turn graves disease effects are more on women compared to men.
Treatment for Graves disease
The diagnosis of the same is done by considering the family's connection with the thyroid and conducting blood tests related to the thyroid. There are several treatments available for effective management of graves disease.
Antithyroid drugs
Antithyroid drugs usually work to block the production of thyroid hormone. Drugs like propylthiouracil and methimazole are usually the favorites as antithyroid drugs.
In addition to this, there are beta blockers which also come in handy for grave conditions as they regulate our heart and protect it till other hyperthyroidism treatments do their job.
Radioiodine therapy
In this, as the name suggests the patient needs to consume some 131 Iodine (radioactive) to reduce the excess thyroid activity. It is the radioactive nature of Iodine that is exploited for the slow destruction of the thyroid gland cells. However, this therapy is usually considered only if medications are ineffective as it does have some side effects and may develop hypothyroidism after the treatment.
Thyroid surgery
If nothing works then, surgery comes into play. Here, the entire thyroid gland is removed, and for the thyroid hormones separate medications are provided.
Graves disease is a serious condition which if left untreated can cause some serious complications in our body. Thus, if you suspect any of the above symptoms it is better to get it checked by your healthcare provider and get it treated as soon as possible.
