Causes of Graves’ Disease

Graves' disease is an autoimmune issue that causes excessive production of thyroid hormones or hyperthyroidism. The cause of Graves' disease is unknown, but it is believed to be due to a malfunction in the body's immune system. Symptoms can vary widely, and treatment aims to lower the amount of thyroid hormones produced by the body and alleviate the severity of symptoms. Read on to know more.

Causes

The cause of Grave’s disease is yet unknown; however a person’s genetic disposition and external factors could be the cause which leads to malfunction of body’s immune system. Graves’ disease is associated with an antibody called thyrotropin receptor antibody (TRAb). Normally, the thyroid function is regulated by a hormone that the pituitary gland releases, but in Grave’s disease the thyrotropin receptor antibody (TRAb) acts like a regulatory pituitary hormone, overriding the normal regulation of the thyroid. This causes an overproduction of thyroid hormones, leading to hyperthyroidism. The body’s metabolism increases if the thyroid gland secretes too many of these hormones. An increased metabolism can cause symptoms like palpitation, sweating, trembling, and weight loss.

Normally, the immune system produces antibodies which target foreign substances, viruses, and bacteria. However, in Graves’ disease, the immune system produces antibodies called thyroid-stimulating immunoglobulin (TSI) which attach to healthy thyroid cells and act like TSH, prompting the thyroid to overproduce hormones.

Although heredity could also be a cause of Graves’ disease, no single gene causes this illness. Other causes of Graves’ Disease are:

• Stress

• Virus/infection

• Pregnancy

• Environmental triggers like exposure to radiation and increased iodine intake

• Autoimmune issues

The condition is more common in women and individuals under the age of 40. The primary objective of treatment is to decrease the amount of thyroid hormones and alleviate the severity of symptoms.