Graves' disease is a disease caused by the production of antibodies against the structures of the thyroid gland. As a result of the increased secretion of thyroid hormones, the thyroid gland becomes overactive. Find out what the symptoms of Graves' disease are and how it is being treated.
Graves' disease( Besedov's disease ) is an autoimmune disease of genetic origin, which women suffer from 10 times more often than men, which some scientists associate with the fact that its presence is associated with the level of estrogen. The onset of Basedow's disease is favored by stress and smoking.Graves' disease has a recurrent course with periods of exacerbation and remission .
UntreatedGraves diseasecan lead to stroke, heart attack and even thyroid crisis.
In patients with Basedow, lymphocytes, the cells of the immune system, begin to produce antibodies against their own cells, which attach to the thyroid cells and stimulate them to produce hormones. The result is an excess of the thyroid hormones thyroxine and triiodothyronine in the blood.
Graves' diseasemay also be accompanied by other autoimmune diseases:
- rheumatoid arthritis
- type 1 diabetes
- vitiligo
- primary or secondary adrenal insufficiency (Addison's syndrome or disease)
Graves' disease - symptoms
Symptoms of Graves and Basedow's diseaseare symptoms of an overactive thyroid gland (e.g. nervousness, high temperature intolerance, sweating, trouble sleeping, losing weight, shortness of breath, accelerated work tremors and increased activity, menstrual disorders).
In the elderly, the severity of symptoms may be lower, and in adolescents Basedow's disease may cause unusual symptoms.
There are also specific symptoms:
- vascular goiter -is characteristic of Basedow's disease; during the thyroid examination, increased vascular flow is noted and its tremors are felt
- proptosis- otherwise ophthalmopathy or orbitopathy, this symptom may appear in 10-30 percent of patients at any stage of the disease, even before the onset of hyperthyroidismthyroid gland; the cause of exophthalmos is autoimmune inflammation, which causes the accumulation of mucilaginous substances and cellular infiltrates in the area of the eye socket; exophthalmia can lead to complications such as corneal ulceration, double vision, glaucoma, photophobia, permanent eye damage
- pre-shin edema- this is the result of the accumulation of mucilaginous substances under the skin, most often on the front part of the tibia
- thyroid acropathy- a rare symptom, typical for Basedow's disease, swelling of the fingers or sometimes the feet, accompanied by subperiosteal thickening of the bones.
Graves' disease - research
The doctor makes a diagnosis based on the symptoms reported by the patient, confirmed by the results of laboratory tests. The blood shows increased levels of fT3 and fT4 and decreased levels of TSH.
In addition, there are specific TRAb antibodies (anti-TSHR) directed against the thyroid stimulating hormone receptors produced by the pituitary gland. The doctor also orders an ultrasound of the thyroid gland - in the case of Basedow's disease, the thyroid gland is enlarged and its parenchyma is hypoechoic.
Graves' disease - treatment
In treatment, the emphasis is on reducing and eliminating disease symptoms. For this purpose, pharmacological preparations are administered (antithyroid preparations that weaken the thyroid function), radioactive iodine I-131 or surgical methods - partial or total excision of the thyroid gland are used. Compensating for the development of hypothyroidism over time with levothyroxine.