Graves' Disease

Symptoms

A small percentage of patients are affected by an eye condition called Graves' ophthalmopathy.

Symptoms of Graves' disease may include:

• Hyperthyroidism. In Graves' disease, the immune system mistakenly attacks the thyroid gland, causing it to produce excess thyroid hormone. Physicians look for a combination of symptoms related to thyroid hormone overproduction to diagnose the disease. These may include:
  

  • Anxiety
    
  • Irritability
    
  • Difficulty sleeping
    
  • A rapid or irregular heartbeat
    
  • A tremor in the hands or fingers
    
  • Sweating
    
  • Heat intolerance
    
  • Weight loss, despite normal food intake
    
  • Brittle hair
    
  • Enlargement of the thyroid gland (goiter)
    
  • Light menstrual periods
    
  • Frequent bowel movements

• Eye irritation or Graves' eye disease. Graves' disease is the only kind of hyperthyroidism that affects the eyes. Approximately one half of Graves' disease patients have redness and irritation of the eyes, but it usually doesn't persist. Eye symptoms usually occur close to the time that the condition is diagnosed. Fewer than five percent of Graves' disease patients require treatment for Graves' ophthalmopathy (opf-thal-mop-athy), a condition where swelling tissue and muscle behind the eye push the eyeball out past its protective orbit. If untreated, Graves' opthalmopathy may cause limited eye movement, double vision, vision loss or corneal infections. For some reason, smokers with Graves' disease are more likely to have eye problems. Researchers at Mayo Clinic are studying new types of therapy for Graves' ophthalmopathy.

• Skin disease. In rare cases, people with Graves' disease develop Graves' dermopathy, a lumpy, reddish thickening of the skin in front of the shins. The condition is not serious and is usually painless. It is typically limited to the lower leg.