Graves’ disease affects the thyroid gland. It belongs to the autoimmune diseases. This means that its own immune system turns against the body and thus destroys important cells or tissue.
In the vast majority of cases, a characteristic constellation of symptoms can be found that occur together. These are goiter (goiter), tachycardia (tachycardia of the heart) and a disease of the eyes (endocrine orbitopathy). In this disease it is noticeable that women suffer from Graves’ disease significantly more frequently than men. Mostly people of reproductive age are affected.
Cause
In many patients a genetic disposition can be mentioned as the cause. This causes the disease to break out. In addition, people who ingest too much iodine are much more frequently affected than those who ingest iodine less frequently.
Consequently, people from industrialized countries such as the USA are often affected much more frequently. Environmental factors such as mental disorders or stress also play a significant role as contributory causes. However, specific triggers are not yet known.
In order to differentiate between an autonomic adenoma or Graves’ disease, a disease that is also associated with hyperthyroidism, a thyroid scintigraphy may be necessary. Normal foods such as bread are hardly iodized. So it does not matter at all to eat them.
The most common way to ingest iodine is to take large amounts of it, but this is usually done with antibiotics. Nevertheless, one should also avoid large quantities of sea products and sea animals, for example. This means algae, but also mussels or fish.
Symptoms
The disease affects not only other parts of the body, such as the eyes, but also the thyroid gland itself. In most cases a goiter (goiter) is formed and in addition often an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism). Hyperthyroidism alone brings about several characteristic symptoms, such as insomnia, irritability, hot flushes, nervousness, weight loss, although patients with hyperthyroidism usually have ravenous appetite and eat a lot, and numerous heart changes such as tachycardia and atrial fibrillation.
In addition, the muscles become weaker and the stool frequency increases. Women often still show menstrual disorders. In severe cases, infertility can even occur.
The goiter often causes a tightness in the throat. Some people even feel like they are suffocating because the goiter takes up so much space in the throat. In addition, swallowing difficulties and problems with wearing a collar often occur.
In addition to hair loss, osteoporosis is also a common symptom. When talking about the symptoms of Graves’ disease, one must not forget the psychological effects. Like most chronic diseases, some patients develop mental disorders such as depression.
Especially when the orbitopathy occurs, many affected persons, often women, are very much affected, because the eyes protrude so far and appear so dominant in the face. Trias means that three characteristic symptoms occur together. In the case of Graves’ disease, as mentioned at the beginning, these are goiter (goiter), tachycardia (palpitations) and a disease of the eyes (orbitopathy).
Together, these three symptoms are also called the Merseburg Triad. The goiter is usually clearly visible and bulges out strongly. The thyroid gland is much larger than it should normally be.
However, its function does not have to be changed, but it can still function normally. It is most often caused when the patient does not take in enough iodine and other trace elements. However, if the iodine intake is significantly too high, a goiter may also develop.
It is important that one takes in the recommended daily amount, not more and not less. Tachycardia is tachycardia, which can be extremely unpleasant for the patient. Often this is the reason why patients cannot sleep through the night, but often wake up, which of course affects their ability to concentrate during the day.
Orbitopathy is explained further down in the text. In connection with Graves’ disease, a disease of the eyes (orbitopathy) occurs in very many cases. It is an organ-specific autoimmune disease, which means that it is restricted to the eyes, to the orbit (orbit).
Since women also suffer from Graves’ disease much more frequently, women also exhibit orbitopathy much more frequently.You can usually see the disease very clearly at a glance, because the eyeballs protrude conspicuously from the eye socket and the eyelids are raised far up. The patients therefore have wide open eyes. This is caused by changes in the muscles and fatty tissue.
The disease develops because the body’s own immune cells are directed against the body and attack certain tissues. In most cases these are T-lymphocytes. The attack leads to inflammation of the eye muscles and fatty tissue, which are both located behind the eye.
Since the tissue behind the eye increases, the eyes protrude so far out of the eye socket. It can happen that the two eyes do not protrude equally far, but that one side is more affected. Unfortunately, the visible symptoms do not remain the same, but often develop strong pain and loss of vision, as well as a lack of mobility of the eyes.
The loss of vision can occur because the optic nerve can be compressed. As the eye muscles are no longer mobile enough, the cornea also often becomes dry, as the regular closure of the eyelid is normally responsible for distributing the tear fluid over the eye. The disease can often be diagnosed very well, as it usually occurs in the course of Graves’ disease and shows typical patterns of appearance.
The patient’s medical history is taken and then an exophthalmometer is used by an ophthalmologist. Computer tomography and other imaging techniques are also used to rule out a possible tumor. Vision is measured with appropriate tests and perimetry.
Normally, the symptoms are often treated with cortisone preparations. Eye drops can also be given to treat dryness of the eye. Thus a symptomatic treatment is carried out. Since the disease usually occurs in the course of Graves’ disease, the underlying disease must be treated. Surgery is only performed when the disease is already very advanced.
