Diagnoses:

Graves’ disease can be sometimes be diagnosed only on physical examination and some medical history.

Also some doctors like to have a radioactive image or scan of the thyroid to see whether the entire thyroid gland in overactive. Some blood tests are also conducted to confirm the presence of antibodies that stimulates the thyroid hormones which causes Graves’ disease. These tests are optional as signs that you are hyperthyroidism is causes by Graves’ disease are the presence of Graves’ eye disease, history of some family members and an enlarged thyroid. Similarly there may be history of immune problems in the family members including pernicious anemia, juvenile diabetes or painless white patches on skin known as vitiligo.

To finalize the diagnosis, Doctor may order two tests based on the fact that the thyroid gland uses iodine to make thyroid hormone. Tests are safe and small doses of radioactive iodine.

• The radioactive iodine tests measures the amount of iodine that thyroid collects from bloodstream. High level of iodine uptake indicates Graves’ disease.
• A thyroid scan shows where and how iodine is distributed in thyroid.

Symptoms:

Symptoms generally observed are:

• Anxiety
• Double vision
• Eye irritation and tearing
• Fatigue
• Goiter
• Increased appetite
• Insomnia
• Increased sweating
• Early pregnancy symptoms
• HIV symptoms
• Flu symptoms
• Depression
• Skin disease such as thickening of skin can be observed.

Treatment:

The treatment of Graves’ Disease includes

• Antithyroid drugs,
• Radioiodine
• Surgery.

Antithyroid drugs:

The main drugs included here are carbimazole, prppylthiouracil, and methimazole. These drugs block the fastening of iodine of iodotyrosines. Patients on these medications should see a doctor whether they develop sore throat or fever. Treatment with antithyroid medications must be given for six months to two years so that it can be effective.  The most common side effects are rash and peripheral neuritis and fatal reduction in the level of side effects cells.

Radioiodine:

Radioactive modality is most preferred for mainly older patients but it is suitable for almost all the patients. Hyprothyroidism therapy may prove complication of this therapy but may be treated with thyroid hormones if it appears. The patients undergoing this therapy must be monitored regularly with thyroid blood test as this ensures that they are treated with thyroid hormone before they become symptomatically hypothyroid.

Surgery:

This modality is suitable for young and pregnant patients. It immediately cures and removes the potential removal of carcinoma. Due to removal of gland enables complete biopsy to perform to have definite evidence of cancer anywhere in thyroid. There is no treatment further till cancer is detected. Each treatment has its advantages and disadvantages but most of the patients will find the one which is right for them. Generally, treatment of Graves’ disease is easily controlled and safely treated so it is always successful.