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Graves

Graves’ disease is the most common form of hyperthyroidism, occurring when your immune system mistakenly attacks your thyroid gland and causes it to overproduce the hormone thyroxine. This higher thyroxine level can greatly increase your body’s metabolic rate, which may affect you in numerous ways, from your moods to your physical appearance.

SYMPTOMS MAY INCLUDE:

• Anxiety
• Irritability
• Difficulty sleeping
• Fatigue
• A rapid or irregular heartbeat
• A fine tremor of your hands or fingers
• An increase in perspiration
• Sensitivity to heat
• Weight loss, despite normal food intake
• Brittle hair
• Enlargement of your thyroid gland (goiter)
• Change in menstrual cycles
• Frequent bowel movements

It’s also fairly common for your eyes to exhibit mild signs of a condition known as Graves’ ophthalmopathy.

Graves’ ophthalmopathy may cause these mild signs and symptoms:

• Excess tearing and sensation of grit or sand in either or both eyes
• Reddened or inflamed eyes
• Widening of the space between your eyelids
• Swelling of the lids and tissues around the eyes
• Light sensitivity

There’s no way to stop your immune system from attacking your thyroid gland, but treatments for Graves’ disease can ease symptoms and decrease the production of thyroxine.