Graves Disease: A Case Study

Graves ' disease is an immune system disorder that results in the overproduction of thyroid hormones (hyperthyroidism). The thyroid gland is an important organ of the endocrine system. The gland is located at the front of the neck above where the collarbones meet. This gland releases the hormones thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3), which control body metabolism. Controlling metabolism is important for regulating mood, weight, and mental and physical energy levels. When the body makes too much thyroid hormone, the condition is called hyperthyroidism. Graves disease is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism and is most common in women over age 20. But the disorder can occur at any age and can affect men as well. Some of the symptoms of Graves diseases are

Graves’ disease was named after Robert J. Graves, MD, around the 1830’s. It is an autoimmune disease indicated by hyperthyroidism due to circulating autoantibodies, which is an antibody that attacks the person’s own body. The immune system attacks the thyroid gland, which causes it to produce too much thyroxine. Thyroxine is a hormone that helps control growth and also regulates metabolism in the body. While the thyroxine levels are high the patient’s metabolic rate increases, which can have an effect on their physical appearance as well as their frame of mind. Graves’ disease is the number one cause of hyperthyroidism in the U.S.

Week 3 – LOM Assignment The thyroid is responsible for taking iodine and converting it into thyroid hormones which are released into the blood stream and transported throughout the body where they control metabolism.1 The thyroid is a vital part of the human body as every cell in the body depends on it for metabolic regulation. Too much or too little thyroid hormone secretion can result in hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism. Hyperthyroidism is caused when the thyroid secretes too many thyroid hormones. Hyperthyroidism causes a rapid heart rate, elevated blood pressure and tremors. Other symptoms include increased nervousness, inability to concentrate, weakness, restlessness, difficulty sleeping, frequent bowel movements, weight loss and irregular

Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis can also come as an attack on the thyroid via an autoimmune disorder. The immune system can attack the thyroid; however, no one knows exactly why this

In fact, mild hyperthyroidism may produce severe disability in patients with underlying heart disease. Hence, all patients with unexplained cardiac failure or atrial arrhythmias should be examined for thyrotoxicosis.

Whereas Hashimoto’s is an under active or under developed thyroid gland, Graves’ disease is the opposite. Graves' disease is an immune system disorder that results in the overproduction of thyroid hormones, better known as hyperthyroidism. Although a number of disorders may result in hyperthyroidism, Graves' disease is a common cause. (http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/graves-disease/basics/definition/con-20025811)

Graves’ disease is autoimmune that effects the thyroid in front of the neck. This thyroid creates T3 and T4 which helps regulate how the body uses energy. We have a small gland called pituitary in the brain that helps the thyroid regulate the hormone level properly. With grave’s disease the immune system creates antibodies that act like TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) which than makes the thyroid to create more hormones than what the body needs to have. This is called hyperthyroidism. Graves’ disease causes the body to speed up such as the heart and the metabolism. The symptoms for graves’ disease are goiter (enlarged gland) Anxiety and irritability, A fine tremor of your hands or fingers, Heat sensitivity and an increase in perspiration

Graves' disease, which is caused by a generalized overactivity of the thyroid gland, is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism. In this condition, the thyroid gland usually is renegade, which means it has lost the ability to respond to the normal control by the pituitary gland via TSH. Graves' disease is hereditary and is up to five times more common among women than men. The triggers for Graves' disease include stress,

Graves’ Disease is identified as an autoimmune disorder that directly affects the thyroid gland. Characterized as the most common cause of hyperthyroidism, Graves’ Disease encompasses an overactive, enlarged thyroid gland, which produces an excess of thyroid hormones [1]. Approximately 3% of the United States population is affected by Graves’ Disease and 60-80% of patients affected with Graves’ disease are diagnosed with hyperthyroidism [2]. The approximate female to male ratio is 5/1, with majority of those cases being diagnosed in adults over the age of 20. The peak incidence of cases fall between 40-60 years old [3]. In addition, a higher incidence of Graves’ Disease appears in African Americans and persons of Asian descent as compared to Caucasians in the United States.

Grave’s Disease is an autoimmune disease that affects the thyroid and its hormone production. Normally, a healthy immune system releases antibodies that are designed to attack bacteria and viruses. In addition to antibodies, the thyroid creates hormones that regulate overall hormone production. With Grave’s Disease, the immune system releases antibodies that imitate these thyroid hormones; this leads to overproduction of hormones, or hyperthyroidism. Doctors are not sure as to what exactly causes Grave’s disease, but it is speculated that factors such as age play a role; as in, younger people are typically more prone to this illness. Its symptoms include anxiety; sweating; heart

Graves’ disease is an autoimmune disease in which the over activity of the thyroid gland causes the overproduction of the thyroid hormone. This disease was described by Robert J. Graves a doctor from Ireland and is also known as Basedow’s disease. Even though there are several disorders that may result in hypothyroidism, grave disease is one of the most common type of hypothyroidism that occurs in 1 percent of U. S population (Anderson 2010). Furthermore, Grave disease is a disease that can affect anyone, but is more common amongst females before age 40. Concerning, grave disease will attack the immune system making antibodies that will cause the thyroid to enlarge and produce more than the amount of thyroid hormone that your body will need. These hormones that cause the thyroid to enlarge are called thyroid stimulating immunoglobulins. Thyroid stimulating immunoglobulins are antibodies that tells the thyroid gland to become more active and release excess amounts of thyroid hormone into the blood (U.S. National library of medicine).

Hyperthyroidism (too much hormone) may result Grave's disease. Symptoms include anxiety, rapid heart rate, diarrhea and weight loss, nervousness, anxiety, and irritability.

The main cause of hyperthyroidism Graves’ disease which affects quite a few people in the general population. This disease is characterized as an autoimmune disorder. This means that the body makes antibodies known as thyroid stimulating immunoglobulin that bind and over activate the production of thyroid hormones [3]. So in essence the antibody mimics the thyroid stimulating hormone and when the negative feedback loop is in affect the antibody still binds to the thyroid and T3 and T4 are over produced [2].

The central effects of hyperthyroidism are most pronounced in development. Cerebral circulation and oxygen consumption elevate. "In hyperthyroidism, Beta-adrenergic binding sites in the cerebral cortex increases and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) binding sites are decreases." (Bucurescu,2014). Brain levels of serotonin, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid, and substance P are altered. Native pain sensitivity and number of opiate receptors are increases. Thyroid hormones affect myelination, therefore increased levels lead to oxidative damage to the myelin membrane and/or the oligodendroglial cells. The neurological manifestation is primarily due to the effect of thyroid hormones on other neurotransmitters, hormones, and generalized increased basal metabolic rate. Some of the neurological symptoms are:

Graves’ disease (GD) is a common autoimmune endocrine disorder characterized by thyroid hyperplasia and excessive thyroid hormone production (Karoutsou & Polymeris, 2011). Graves’ ophthalmopathy (GO), is the most common extra-thyroidal manifestation of GD which characterized by orbital inflammation that affects mainly the extra-ocular muscles and fibro-adipose tissue (Marcocci & Marinò, 2012).