Graves' Disease the Mystery Malady

Описание: One of the most perplexing fields of medicine is the autoimmune diseases. Conditions where the body misfires and attacks itself. In Graves’ disease an abnormal autoimmune response leads to the release of antibodies, which damage the thyroid.

“And it will stimulate the thyroid gland to produce more hormones. So when you have overproduction of that hormone that will affect your metabolism,” explains Lee Memorial Health System endocrinologist Dr. Heitham Ajlouni.

A rare disorder, it’s most common in young women. The symptoms, while noticeable seem to point to a mystery malady. Studies show it takes several doctor visits, often to different specialists to finally make the diagnosis.

“You will start losing weight regardless of your appetite. The other thing you have is a fast heartbeat. You have changes of your hair and skin. You will have heat intolerance, excess of sweating. Graves’ disease effect the eye, so their eyeball will protrude,” says Dr. Aljouni.

The cause of Graves’ is still a mystery. But there are some clues: a family history makes it likely there’s a genetic predisposition. Females are more likely to have it and it usually appears before age 40. Having another autoimmune disorder is also a red flag.

“It’s associated with other autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis or cirrhosis or pernicious anemia, because if you have one or two immune disease you are at higher risk of having another autoimmune disease,” says Dr. Aljouni.

Once diagnosed, patients have choices of medical managements. With the mystery solved, it’s important to get treatment or risk serious health consequences.


View More Health Matters video segments at leememorial.org/healthmatters/

Lee Memorial Health System in Fort Myers, FL is the largest network of medical care facilities in Southwest Florida and is highly respected for its expertise, innovation and quality of care. For nearly a century, we’ve been providing our community with everything from primary care treatment to highly specialized care services and robotic assisted surgeries.

Visit leememorial.org