what primary body system does graves disease disrupt
Graves' disease is an autoimmune disease that affects the thyroid. The thyroid is a small gland in the front of the neck. It makes hormones called T3 and T4 that regulate how the body uses energy.Thyroid hormone levels are controlled by the pituitary, which is a pea-sized gland in the brain. Eye symptoms can occur before, at the same time, or after other symptoms of Graves' disease begin. 2  It may rarely occur in people with normal thyroid function. 3  We do not know why these eye problems occur. 4  They are more common in people who smoke, and smoking makes eye symptoms worse.