Graves-Basedow disease Guide, Meaning , Facts, Information and Description
Graves-Basedow disease is an autoimmune disorder of the endocrine system that stimulates and attacks the thyroid gland, being the most common cause of hyperthyroidism. Also known simply as Graves' disease, it occurs most frequently in women (8:1 compared to men) of middle age. Symptoms include fatigue, weight loss and rapid heart beat. Because similar antibodies to those attacking the thyroid also affect the eye, blurred vision and eye irritation are also commonly reported. Graves' is a genetic disorder, and while treatable with anti-thyroid medications or removal of the thyroid, Graves' disease is incurable.
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2 Signs and symptoms 3 Historical background 4 Bibliography |
Graves-Basedow disease is a disorder characterized by a triad of
hyperthyroidism, goitre, and exophthalmos (bulging eyeballs).
The severe form of exophthalmos occurs only in a minority of patients with the disorder, and is also known as infiltrative opthalmopathy, Graves' opthalmopathy, or Thyroid Eye Disease (TED).
Extremely manifested disease that can sometimes be life-threatening is called the thyroid storm (coma).Definition
Etiology unknown, it may be related to a malfunction of the immune system.
Female dominance, ratio 4: 1; onset is commonly in the third to fifth decades of life. Signs and symptoms
The symptoms include cardiac arrhythmias, increased pulse rate, weight loss
in the presence of increased appetite, intolerance to heat, elevated basal
metabolism rate, profuse sweating, apprehension, weakness, elevated
protein-bound iodine level, tremor, diarrhoea, headache, vomiting, eyelid retraction, and stare.