Graves Disease: Keep an eye out
We look at several diseases and their symptoms and side effects, and all of them are usually, if not always, easily relatable to the disease in question. A sharp pain on the chest indicating a respiratory or heart condition, for example, or swelling of the lower abdomen indicating constipation, or even pain in the abdomen as a sign of digestive problems are sure tell signs of their own diseases. There are, however, some conditions whose symptoms manifest in strange areas which seem totally unrelated to the disease. In this case, diagnosis is made a lot harder to the physician or health technician that’s observing the symptoms, so a lot of care must go into examining the patient. There are also ways in which you, the patient, may help the doctor. Keeping track of the progression of whatever symptoms you’re having as well as letting your doctor know of anything unusual happening to your body and even of recent changes to your lifestyle or daily routine can go a long way in keeping you healthy and helping the doctor know what’s wrong with you.
An interesting case of symptom apparently not matching the disease is with Graves’ Disease. One of Graves disease symptoms is what is called “Graves’ Ophthalmology” or thyroid eye disease. The auto antibodies that are released when one suffers from hyperthyroidism, of which Graves’ disease is the most common form, bind with the orbit around the eye and cause a series of ocular problems, like eyelid retraction, fissures appearing in the lid and conjunctivitis, among others.
People will often see this as an eye infection and not immediately relate it to a thyroid problem. Together with other Graves disease symptoms, it would be easy to relate the two, however. Associated with tiredness, weight loss, goiter – which is the enlargement of the thyroid – insomnia, heat intolerance and other symptoms of the disease, it’s easy to identify Graves’ ophthalmology as more than just an eye infection. But thyroid diseases progress differently between each individual, and symptoms may manifest in a different order, while some won’t manifest at all. This is why it’s so important, like we said before, to tell your doctor everything and anything that’s changed in your life routine. Even if your doctor is suspecting an eye infection, mentioning recent weight loss despite an increase in appetite and reduced muscle strength as well as increased fatigue, for example, will most certainly at least make him suspect you have a thyroid problem.
