Graves' disease is an autoimmune disease that causes the thyroid glands to work too hard, resulting in excessive production of thyroid hormone. Also known as toxic goiter, this disease is one of the most common causes of hyperthyroidism. Does toxic goiter kill, what is good for poisonous goiter? The questions are explained in detail later in the article.
What is Graves' Disease (Toxic Goiter)?
Graves' disease is an autoimmune disease, also known as toxic (toxic) goiter. This condition causes the thyroid gland to work hard and produce an excessive amount of hormones. An increase in thyroid hormone levels creates a picture of hyperthyroidism. Hyperthyroidism picture can be seen due to many different reasons, especially Graves' disease. Thyroid hormones; It affects many different areas from nervous system function to brain development, from body temperature to metabolism. Changes in thyroid hormone levels also affect all these areas. Symptoms related to hyperthyroidism develop in almost every part of the body.
What Causes Graves' Disease (Toxic Goiter)?
Graves' disease is an autoimmune disorder. In autoimmune diseases, a problem occurs in the immune system, whose main task is to fight harmful microorganisms that enter the body. The immune system perceives the person's own body cell as "foreign" and tries to destroy it. This causes damage to the tissues where the relevant cell is located.
In Graves' disease, the immune system produces antibodies against a part of the cells in the thyroid gland.
Under normal conditions, the function of the thyroid gland is controlled by a hormone secreted from the pituitary gland in the brain. The antibody produced by the immune system in Graves' disease (thyrotropin receptor antibody, TRAb) mimics the hormone secreted from the pituitary gland. This antibody causes the thyroid gland to be overstimulated, thus producing excess hormones. High thyroid hormone levels also create a picture of hyperthyroidism. Graves ophthalmopathy is an eye disease caused by poisonous goiter. In Graves' ophthalmopathy, some carbohydrates accumulate in the muscle and other tissues located at the back of the eye. Although the cause of this situation is not known exactly, thyroid functions are Antibodies called TRAb disrupting the eye are thought to play a role in this change that occurs around the eye. Graves' ophthalmopathy is usually seen at the same time as hyperthyroidism or a few months after the onset of hyperthyroidism. In the presence of certain conditions, the risk of Graves' disease may increase. Graves' disease risk factors:
- Family History: Individuals with a family history of toxic goiter are more likely to develop this disease. This may be an indication that genetics plays a role in the development of Graves' disease.
- Gender: Toxic goiter disease is more common in women than in men.
- Age: Graves' disease usually develops before the age of 40.
- Other Autoimmune Diseases: People with autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis have a higher risk of developing toxic goiter, which is also an autoimmune disease.
- Emotional or Physical Stress: Illness is a stressful event. situations such as living; may trigger the development of the disease in people who are genetically predisposed to Graves' disease.
- Pregnancy: Women who are pregnant or have recently given birth are more likely to have toxic goiter.
- Smoking: Smoking increases the risk of toxic goiter by affecting the immune system. Graves' patients who smoke are also more likely to develop Graves' ophthalmopathy.
What are Graves' Disease (Toxic Goiter) Symptoms?
Common Graves' disease symptoms are as follows:
- Anxiety
- Restlessness
- Sensitivity to heat, sweating even in warm weather, moist skin
- Weight loss despite no change in diet
- Enlargement of the thyroid gland (goiter)
- Change in menstruation
- Erectile dysfunction
- Reduction in sexual desire (libido)
- Increased bowel movements
- getting right
- Fatigue
- Thickening of the skin on the calf and heel, redness
- Accelerated heartbeat (tachycardia)
- Irregularity in the heartbeat (palpitations) )
- Sleep disorders
- Protrusion of the eyes
- Feeling of sand in the eyes
- Sensitivity to light
- Feeling pressure or pain in the eyes
- Double vision
- Swelling or retraction of the eyelids
- Eye redness, inflammation
- Can be counted as vision loss.
How is the Treatment of Graves' Disease (Toxic Goiter)?
The treatment of Graves' disease prevents excessive production of thyroid hormones. It is done to prevent and normalize the effects of already produced hormones in the body. One of the methods that can be used in the treatment of toxic goiter disease is radioactive iodine therapy. In this therapy, the patient is given oral radioactive iodine. Iodine is a substance that the thyroid gland needs in order to produce hormones. For this reason, the thyroid gland retains the radioactive iodine taken into the body. The radioactive iodine that enters the thyroid cells begins to destroy the overactive thyroid tissue with the radiation it emits. The thyroid gland gradually shrinks and the symptoms associated with Graves' disease are alleviated. Radioactive iodine treatment continues over a period of several weeks to several months. The side effects of this treatment method are sensitivity in the neck and a temporary increase in thyroid hormone levels. Radioactive iodine therapy is not used in pregnant and lactating women.
Another method that can be used in treatment is anti-thyroid drugs. These drugs prevent the thyroid gland from taking the iodine it needs to produce hormones into the cell. Thus, it reduces the synthesis of thyroid hormone. An example of an anti-thyroid drug is methimazole. Beta blocker group drugs can also be used in the treatment of hyperthyroidism. These drugs do not reduce thyroid hormone production. Beta blockers show their effects by neutralizing the effects of thyroid hormones in the body. beta blockers; helps to eliminate symptoms such as increased heart rate, anxiety, restlessness, sweating, diarrhea. Propranolol, atenolol, metoprolol, nadolol; Examples of beta-blockers that can be used in the treatment of Graves' Graves. Another method that can be applied in the treatment of Graves' Graves is surgery. Toxic goiter surgery, t It involves removing part or all of the thyroid gland. After the surgery, the patient may need to take thyroid hormone support from outside. During Graves' disease surgery, the nerves controlling the vocal cords may be damaged, and the parathyroid glands, which are located above the thyroid gland and maintain the calcium balance in the body, may be damaged. However, the risk of complications is very low in an operation performed by an experienced surgeon.
Graves' disease can lead to very serious health problems if not treated. Complications that may develop due to Graves' disease are as follows:
- Problems in Pregnancy: Problems such as miscarriage, premature birth, fetal thyroid dysfunction, poor fetal development, maternal heart disease, preeclampsia are complications of toxic goiter that can be seen during pregnancy.
- Heart Disorders: If Graves' disease is not treated, it can lead to arrhythmias in the heart, structural changes in the heart muscle, and heart failure. This condition, also known as thyrotoxic, occurs especially in people with severe hyperthyroidism.
The rapid and severe rise in thyroid hormones has many effects on the body. These effects; fever, sweating, diarrhea, vomiting, delirium, extreme weakness, cardiac arrhythmia, seizures, jaundice, low blood pressure and coma. Thyroid storm is a health problem that needs urgent intervention.
- Fragile Bones: Hyperthyroidism causes bone resorption (osteoporosis), which causes weakness and fragility in bones. For bones to be strong, they must contain sufficient calcium. The rise in thyroid hormones causes a decrease in the calcium binding capacity of the bones.
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