Graves' disease. Just hearing the name can invoke fear. And no question, it is unpleasant. But, the name actually has nothing to do with the disease. The name actually comes from the person who discovered the disease. Dr. Robert Graves.

So, if the name of the disease doesn't tell you anything about what Graves' disease is, what is it? What are its symptoms? And how is it diagnosed?

What is it?

Graves' disease is caused by an over active thyroid, also known as hyperthyroidism. What this means, is the thyroid is producing too many hormones. In Graves' disease, this is accompanied by the thyroid gland being enlarged.

This increase in hormones causes many of the systems in the body to go into overdrive. This is what causes the symptoms to occur.

What are its Symptoms?

One of the primary symptoms is an enlarged thyroid gland. But, this isn't the one that most people notice.

Most often, the patient will display a number of secondary symptoms, caused by, but not obviously related to the thyroid:

Rapid Heart Beat

Hair Loss

Weight Loss

Fatigue

General Malaise

Body Soreness

These symptoms can come on suddenly, or they can gradually appear over a long period of time. Often, a stressful life event, or an injury, or an illness can bring these symptoms to the surface. But, after diagnosis, the person is often able to look back and notice these symptoms have been there for a while.

How is it Diagnosed?

Diagnosis is relatively straight forward, if the doctor thinks about looking for it. Often, diagnosis is made right away, but other times, because the symptoms are so varied, the tests are not run until after several doctor visits.

The first thing the doctor who considers the possibility of Graves' will look for is an enlarged thyroid. Next, he will order a simple thyroid test, which checks the levels of 2 different hormones.

If the thyroid hormone levels are high, and the gland is enlarged, a discussion of treatment options can be started.

Once Graves' disease is suspected, based on the symptoms, diagnosis usually comes quickly.

The main thing is for the doctor to actually think to check it. There are other criteria, besides the symptoms that the doctor will use, so only he can make the final diagnosis.

Also, there are other thyroid conditions besides Graves' disease that can cause many of the same symptoms, and even test results. Graves' disease is just the most common.

If you are feeling any of these symptoms, and you haven't been able to determine another cause, mention it to your doctor. He will be able to verify or eliminate it as a possibility so you can get on with your treatment.

There are several different treatment options for Graves' disease. There is no need to suffer with it, and postponing treatment can actually be damaging to your long term health.