Graves Disease Definition, Reason, Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention
Definition
Graves disease is an autoimmune disease that attacks the thyroid gland. This disease causes the thyroid gland to overactively secrete the hormone thyroxine.
The thyroid gland is shaped like a butterfly and is located at the front of the neck. Under normal circumstances, this gland secretes the hormone thyroxine sufficiently. This hormone is necessary for the body’s metabolism.
In Graves disease, due to excessive thyroid gland activity, the size of the thyroid gland enlarges and the thyroid hormone levels increase, otherwise known as hyperthyroidism. This condition causes the body’s metabolism to be excessive. This disease is more common in young women, which is around the age of 20-35 years.
Symptom
Graves’ disease shows symptoms of excess thyroid hormone (hyperthyroidism), namely:
- Excessive sweating
- Weight loss even though the appetite increases
- Chest pounding
- Easily anxious or angry
- Hand tremors
- Irregular menstruation
- Erectile dysfunction
- Libido decreased
- Irregular heartbeat
- There is a lump in the neck
In addition to these symptoms, the hallmark of Graves’ disease is the prominence of the sufferer’s eyes. The eyes like bulging and pushed forward, the movement of the eyelids is slow.
Reason
Until now, the cause of Graves’ disease is not known clearly. What is known is that in Graves’ disease, the body’s immune system attacks the thyroid gland and causes it to become hyperactive in secreting the hormone thyroxine.
The following conditions make a person more susceptible to Graves’ disease:
- Have a family member with Graves’ disease
- Frequent exposure to cigarette smoke
- Have another autoimmune disease
- Women who are pregnant or have just given birth
- Being in a state of psychological stress or exhaustion
Diagnosis
To detect Graves’ disease, initially the doctor will check whether there are symptoms of hyperthyroidism and an enlarged thyroid gland. If there is, then the next examination is to check the level of the hormone thyroxine from the patient’s blood by examining T3, T4, and TSH (thyroxine-stimulating hormone ). If T3 and T4 are increased accompanied by decreased TSH, the doctor can determine the presence of Graves’ disease.
Another examination that can be done is thyroid scintigraphy. This examination is carried out by asking the patient to swallow a radioactive iodine substance, then taking radiological photos of the thyroid gland.
Treatment
Graves’ disease treatment aims to reduce levels of the hormone thyroxine back to normal. Some of the treatments that can be used are:
This treatment is done by asking the patient to swallow a radioactive substance that contains iodine. This radioactive substance will slowly destroy cells in the thyroid gland so that the hyperactive activity of the thyroid gland will decrease.
Antithyroid drugs work to prevent the thyroid gland from producing too much hormone. The types of drugs that are often used are methimazole and propylthiouracil (PTU). Symptoms of Graves’ disease should improve after taking the drug 4–6 weeks. However, consumption of this drug must be continued for up to 12-18 months.
In addition, to overcome the increase in metabolism that occurs, beta blockers are given temporarily until the levels of the hormone thyroxine return to normal.
Thyroid removal surgery is only carried out if other treatments have been given but have not succeeded in treating the hyperthyroid condition that occurs.
Prevention
Because the cause is also not known clearly until now Graves’ disease cannot be prevented.