Question: What are the symptoms of Graves' Disease ?
Answer: People with Graves disease may have common symptoms of hyperthyroidism such as - nervousness or irritability - fatigue or muscle weakness - heat intolerance - trouble sleeping - hand tremors - rapid and irregular heartbeat - frequent bowel movements or diarrhea - weight loss - goiter, which is an enlarged thyroid that may cause the neck to look swollen and can interfere with normal breathing and swallowing A small number of people with Graves disease also experience thickening and reddening of the skin on their shins. This usually painless problem is called pretibial myxedema or Graves dermopathy. In addition, the eyes of people with Graves disease may appear enlarged because their eyelids are retractedseem pulled back into the eye socketsand their eyes bulge out from the eye sockets. This condition is called Graves ophthalmopathy (GO).
Source: NIDDK

Question: What is (are) Graves' Disease ?
Answer: Graves ophthalmopathy is a condition associated with Graves disease that occurs when cells from the immune system attack the muscles and other tissues around the eyes. The result is inflammation and a buildup of tissue and fat behind the eye socket, causing the eyeballs to bulge out. Rarely, inflammation is severe enough to compress the optic nerve that leads to the eye, causing vision loss. Other GO symptoms are - dry, gritty, and irritated eyes - puffy eyelids - double vision - light sensitivity - pressure or pain in the eyes - trouble moving the eyes About 25 to 30 percent of people with Graves disease develop mild GO, and 2 to 5 percent develop severe GO.1 This eye condition usually lasts 1 to 2 years and often improves on its own. GO can occur before, at the same time as, or after other symptoms of hyperthyroidism develop and may even occur in people whose thyroid function is normal. Smoking makes GO worse. 1Yeung SJ, Habra MA, Chiu AC. Graves disease. emedicine website. emedicine.medscape.com/article/120619-overview. Updated 2010. Accessed December 10, 2011.
Source: NIDDK

Question: How to diagnose Graves' Disease ?
Answer: Health care providers can sometimes diagnose Graves disease based only on a physical examination and a medical history. Blood tests and other diagnostic tests, such as the following, then confirm the diagnosis. TSH test. The ultrasensitive TSH test is usually the first test performed. This test detects even tiny amounts of TSH in the blood and is the most accurate measure of thyroid activity available. T3 and T4 test. Another blood test used to diagnose Graves disease measures T3 and T4 levels. In making a diagnosis, health care providers look for below-normal levels of TSH, normal to elevated levels of T4, and elevated levels of T3. Because the combination of low TSH and high T3 and T4 can occur with other thyroid problems, health care providers may order other tests to finalize the diagnosis. The following two tests use small, safe doses of radioactive iodine because the thyroid uses iodine to make thyroid hormone. Radioactive iodine uptake test. This test measures the amount of iodine the thyroid collects from the bloodstream. High levels of iodine uptake can indicate Graves disease. Thyroid scan. This scan shows how and where iodine is distributed in the thyroid. With Graves disease the entire thyroid is involved, so the iodine shows up throughout the gland. Other causes of hyperthyroidism such as nodulessmall lumps in the glandshow a different pattern of iodine distribution. TSI test. Health care providers may also recommend the TSI test, although this test usually isnt necessary to diagnose Graves disease. This test, also called a TSH antibody test, measures the level of TSI in the blood. Most people with Graves disease have this antibody, but people whose hyperthyroidism is caused by other conditions do not. More information about testing for thyroid problems is provided in the NIDDK health topic, Thyroid Tests.
Source: NIDDK

Question: What are the treatments for Graves' Disease ?
Answer: Treatment for Graves disease can sometimes affect pregnancy. After treatment with surgery or radioactive iodine, TSI antibodies can still be present in the blood, even when thyroid levels are normal. If a pregnant woman has received either of these treatments prior to becoming pregnant, the antibodies she produces may travel across the placenta to the babys bloodstream and stimulate the fetal thyroid. A pregnant woman who has been treated with surgery or radioactive iodine should inform her health care provider so her baby can be monitored for thyroid-related problems later in the pregnancy. Pregnant women may safely be treated with anti-thyroid medications. For more information about pregnancy and anti-thyroid medications, see Medications under the section titled How is Graves disease treated?More information about pregnancy and thyroid disease is provided in the NIDDK health topic, Pregnancy and Thyroid Disease.
Source: NIDDK

Question: What to do for Graves' Disease ?
Answer: - Graves disease is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism in the United States. - In Graves disease, the immune system stimulates the thyroid gland to make too much thyroid hormone. - Common symptoms of hyperthyroidism include nervousness or irritability, fatigue or muscle weakness, heat intolerance, trouble sleeping, hand tremors, rapid and irregular heartbeat, frequent bowel movements or diarrhea, weight loss, and goiter. - People with Graves disease may also have bulging eyes, a condition called Graves ophthalmopathy (GO). - Graves disease is most often treated with radioiodine therapy, which gradually destroys the cells that make up the thyroid gland. Anti-thyroid medications and surgery to remove the thyroid are sometimes used. - The eye problems associated with Graves disease may require separate treatment. - A pregnant woman who has been treated with surgery or radioactive iodine prior to becoming pregnant should inform her health care provider so her baby can be monitored for thyroid-related problems later in the pregnancy.
Source: NIDDK