What Are the Symptoms of Graves Disease?
What are the symptoms of Graves' disease? This article discusses the signs and symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of the condition. If you're unsure what your symptoms are, you should get checked by a doctor for Graves disease. Fortunately, there are effective treatments for this rare disease. Listed below are some of these symptoms:
Signs and symptoms
Some of the most common Graves disease signs and symptoms are thickening the skin over the tibia. These thick patches of skin are typically pink and rarely affect other areas of the body. Pretibial myxedema, a common sign of the disease, is caused by the thickening of the skin over the tibia. Treatment is available to improve symptoms. Read on to learn more about this disease.
Other Graves disease symptoms include unintended weight loss, abnormal intolerance to heat, muscle weakness, trembling, frequent bowel movements, difficulty sleeping, and increased sweating. The signs and symptoms of Graves' disease may also cause your eyeballs to protrude from their sockets, a condition known as proptosis. The eyeballs may also become painful or swollen. Visiting an endocrinologist will help you determine the exact cause of your symptoms and develop a treatment plan to treat them.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis of Graves' disease involves determining if there are any signs or symptoms of the autoimmune disease. The symptoms of Graves' disease can be confused with other medical conditions, such as rapid or irregular heartbeat. However, in many cases, the disease is caused by a malfunction in the body's immune system. In these cases, doctors will perform a radioactive iodine uptake study to confirm the diagnosis.
Although current diagnostic tests are particular, a family history of Graves disease or another thyrotoxicosis can also suggest this condition. In patients with Graves disease, positive results are obtained in 90% of cases. However, the impact may be positive in women with a family history of the condition. If the symptoms persist or worsen despite treatment, it is essential to consider other thyrotoxicosis conditions.
Treatment
There are several types of Graves disease treatment available to patients. One of the most common is RAI drug therapy, which was initially limited to patients over 45 years old. Since then, the age restriction has been gradually lowered, and some clinics have thrown out their entire age criteria. One of the biggest concerns with RAI is that it can induce unwanted germ cell mutations and neoplasia.
In addition to antithyroid medication, doctors can perform surgery or radioactive iodine to help decrease the symptoms. Antithyroid medications are prescribed to block the production of thyroid hormones. Antithyroid drugs can also be used to control hyperthyroidism symptoms. Although these treatments can be effective, they can also lead to relapse of the condition if the patient stops taking the medication. To avoid this, doctors may prescribe a different medication that has the same benefits but is safer for pregnant women.
