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Graves’ Disease Doesn’t Stop Missy Elliott. What You Should Know About the Illness.
“Graves’ disease specifically refers to when the thyroid gland is attacked by the immune system, which causes thyroid cells to overproduce thyroid hormone,” says Bruce Bode, M.D., an endocrinologist at Piedmont Hospital. “Right now, about 10 million people in our country suffer from Graves’ disease.”
One of the most classic symptoms is nervousness. “Patients might feel anxious, experience trembling or have a rapid pulse rate,” he says.
“Graves’ disease patients also have problems with their eyes. Sometimes the eye muscles are attacked by the immune system and the eye begins to bulge out of the eye socket,” says Dr. Bode. “Or, some people may experience double vision or eyelid problems.”
Other symptoms of Graves’ disease include poor weight gain, irritability, vomiting, diarrhea, high blood pressure and difficulty breathing because of the enlarged thyroid gland pressing on the windpipe.
To treat this autoimmune disease, physicians might remove the gland, block the thyroid production or kill the gland with radioactive iodine, Dr. Bode says.
He adds that there is currently a new drug in development that is able to block the effects of the antibodies on the thyroid gland.
Graves’ disease can also impact pregnancy. If a pregnant woman’s autoimmune system is attacking her body, it can affect the fetus’ thyroid gland, leading to serious complications. However, Dr. Bode emphasizes that it is possible to treat the condition in pregnant women.
“If a pregnant woman gets treatment, she can get her thyroid levels back to normal and gain enough weight to provide the fetus with adequate nutrition. Then, babies are usually born with normal thyroid function,” says Dr. Bode. “Mothers can typically breastfeed without a problem, but they need to speak to a specialist in thyroid disease to make sure they are using the right medications that cause no ill effects.”