What is Graves Disease - Symptoms, Treatment and Other Information

Are you wondering - what is Graves disease?

If you've heard of Graves disease, but aren't sure what it is, you might be interested to know that it is a condition whereby the immune system attacks the thyroid gland.

When the thyroid gland is attacked, it causes hyperthyroidism. In fact, of the causes of hyperthyroidism, Graves disease is the most common. When the thyroid gland is attacked by the immune system, it releases more of the hormone called thyroxin, which will cause your metabolism to increase dramatically.

What are the common signs and symptoms?

What is Graves disease going to negatively impact, in terms of one's overall health?

Now, you might be thinking, "fast metabolism, not so bad," and for a normal healthy person, it may not be so bad, but a fast metabolism can not only cause you to lose weight, but it can also cause you to suffer from mood swings. So, this condition is not always fun.

What is Graves disease characterized by? Here are some common signs and symptoms of Graves disease.

• Anxiousness, restlessness, and sleeplessness
• Irritability and rapid mood swings
• Shakiness, especially in the hands
• Profuse sweating and heat sensitivity
• Fatigue
• Irregular or rapid heartbeat
• Weight loss
• Enlarged thyroid gland (found in the neck)
• Brittle hair and change in menstrual cycles

In learning about what is Graves disease, you should also know that people who suffer from Graves disease also find that they can develop a problem with their eyes, called ophthalmopathy. When this occurs, the tissues behind the eyeball swell up and cause the eye to bulge past the protective orbit. This can cause symptoms such as tearing, red eyes and light sensitivity, as well as swollen and irritated skin around the eyes.

What can you do?

Any time the glands in your neck feel larger than normal or begin to protrude, it's important to seek professional attention. You should know that in most cases, Graves disease is not fatal and will not cause any long term health effects, and that by catching it early enough, you can actually force the condition into remission.

Now, so what is Graves disease treated with?

Beta blockers might be used with other treatments to help you to stop feeling some of the anxiousness, sleeplessness and racing heart that you might have been feeling until now. This can help you feel better, but it's actually not working to treat the thyroid and stop it from producing too much hormones.

In many cases, anti thyroid medications will work to slow the production of the hormones that the body is making too much of, and you will find that you gradually can get your body back on an "even" keel. Many times, this type of therapy will put your condition into remission, but it is possible to relapse.

In the case that a person cannot handle the anti thyroid medications, surgery to remove the thyroid glands may be an option, but one that you should consider very carefully.

In learning about what is Graves disease, it is worthwhile to note that many people are now seeking alternative forms of treatment for Graves Disease, because some of the conventional treatments can be very harsh and, occasionally, they can have side effects. Some studies have found that L-Carnitine is effective in blocking the thyroid glands from producing too much thyroxin, which will then help you to begin feeling better as well as help eliminate symptoms altogether.

All in all, it's important to consider all of your options, even natural, when you are working to treat this condition. Take the time to do a little research about Graves Disease treatments on your own so you can be fully educated on what sort of methods might really work. This will allow you to talk to your health care professional and take active part in your treatment, which could mean the difference between healing the way you want to and having your condition treated in ways that make you uncomfortable.

Do you now have a better idea of what is Graves disease?

To learn more about what is Graves disease and how it can be treated, you may wish to read the other related Graves disease articles and pages on this website.

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