Graves’ disease is a chronic, autoimmune condition that affects the endocrine system by causing it to produce too many hormones. This gland is responsible for releasing and regulating hormones that control your body temperature, metabolism, and many other functions. Graves disease happens when the immune system attacks the thyroid, often resulting in hyperthyroidism.
Because your thyroid’s primary job is to regulate metabolism, appetite, and body temperature, a number of issues can stem from an excess of hormones. Some of the most common of these are bone and organ problems, as well as uncontrolled weight gain. Therefore, it is important to seek early diagnosis and treatment if you have Graves’ disease.
Currently, radioiodine therapy is the most common and effective treatment for Graves disease. Radioiodine therapy is available in pill or liquid form and involves swallowing a small concentration of radiation. As you take daily doses of this radiation, it reduces the size of your thyroid gland, similar to how radiation shrinks a tumour.
Shrinking the gland is necessary because Graves disease makes it bigger, which is what causes the excess production of hormones. By making the thyroid gland smaller, it will not overproduce hormones and will be able to return to its normal functioning.
While radioiodine therapy is the most effective treatment for Graves disease, not everyone likes the idea of consuming radiation. As such, additional treatments are available via certain medications, including the following:
Beta-blockers, such as metoprolol and propranolol, help regulate and protect the heart, which is one of the most at-risk organs in people with Graves disease. As such, beta-blockers are often prescribed as a primary or secondary treatment for Graves disease. Even in instances when it does not cure the condition, beta-blockers protect the heart until other treatments begin.
Antithyroid medications, such as propylthiouracil and methimazole, are used to prevent the thyroid from producing hormones. While this is helpful in the short term, long-term prevention of thyroid hormone production is bad for your body and could have bad side effects. As such, anti-thyroid medications are beneficial to get the thyroid under control until a long-term treatment is established.
In serious cases of Graves disease, when medications and radioiodine therapy are ineffective, you may need to undergo thyroid surgery. This procedure is done to remove all or part of the thyroid gland, which impedes or ceases the production of thyroid hormones.
Because thyroid surgery can limit or eliminate the production of hormones, it may be necessary to start hormone replacement therapy. This is done to ensure your body receives the hormones it needs to function properly and is available as an oral supplement.
In addition to treating Graves’ disease as a whole, it may also be necessary to treat the resulting side effects. This could include seeing an eye doctor because Graves disease can cause a number of eye and vision problems. It may also be necessary to see additional physicians to treat other underlying conditions, such as obesity, heart problems, and metabolic issues.
Because of the many potential side effects of excess hormone production, it is vital to seek treatment for Graves disease. With the right treatment plan, Graves disease is controllable, and you can live a long, normal, healthy life.