Graves’ disease is a chronic, auto-immune disorder that affects the thyroid gland. Because the thyroid gland plays a crucial part in dispersing hormones throughout the body, Graves’ disease can lead to hyperthyroidism. Hyperthyroidism can confuse normal bodily functions and lead to uncontrollable weight gain, organ failure, bone problems, and muscle problems.
While there is no cure for Graves’ disease, there are treatments that can keep hormones under control and prevent the disease from causing serious health problems. However, it is important to seek a medical diagnosis and start treatment early, before Graves’ disease causes irreparable damage to your heart, bones, muscles, and other parts of the body.
Radioactive iodine is often the preferred treatment for people with Graves’ disease. Radioactive iodine, also known as radioiodine, is taken orally as a pill or liquid. Radioiodine has the ability to kill defective thyroid cells that are producing too many hormones, shrinking the thyroid gland and reducing the severity of symptoms.
In most cases, radioiodine has limited side effects and does not affect other parts of the body. It can, however, cause neck tenderness and eye problems, and patients will likely need to take a thyroid hormone supplement later in life if the radioiodine continues reducing thyroid supply. Radioactive iodine cannot be taken if you are pregnant.
If radioactive iodine therapy is not enough to control Graves’ disease, there are two types of medications frequently used.
As the name implies, anti-thyroid medications block the thyroids’ ability to produce hormones, which is important if diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. Propylthiouracil is often used for pregnant women who develop Graves’ disease, and methimazole is prescribed in most other situations. However, because completely eliminating the thyroid hormone can cause serious issues, this is not the preferred treatment.
Beta blockers, such as metoprolol and propranolol, are often used in conjunction with radioactive iodine therapy. Beta blockers protect the heart from damage if you have hyperthyroidism as a result of Graves’ disease until radioactive iodine treatment can take effect.
Anti-thyroid medications, especially Propylthiouracil, can have unwanted side effects. These often result because of an allergic reaction or because of a lack of thyroid hormone.
In serious cases where medications and radioiodine are ineffective, a thyroidectomy might be an option. A thyroidectomy is a surgical procedure to remove part or all of the thyroid gland, as it is responsible for hyperthyroidism.
If you undergo a thyroidectomy, you will need ongoing treatment or therapy to ensure your body gets enough thyroid hormones. There is also a chance that the surgery could damage your vocal cords or parathyroid glands since your thyroid hormone is located in your throat. However, you cannot leave Graves’ disease untended, so surgery might be your only option.
Although there is no permanent cure for Graves’ disease, there are plenty of treatments that can help control the symptoms. However, each of the treatments available for Graves’ disease can cause complications that also require treatment. Therefore, Graves’ disease is a condition that requires careful, lifelong monitoring, even if treatment is received quickly.