Graves' disease is the only kind of hyperthyroidism that has inflammation of the eyes, swelling of the tissues around the eyes, and bulging eyes. Graves 'disease, also known simply as Graves' disease. Graves' disease is the most common form of hyperthyroidism. Occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks the thyroid gland and causes overproduction of the hormone thyroxine. When the thyroid is too active, it makes more thyroid hormones than the body needs. High levels of thyroid hormones can cause side effects such as weight loss, rapid heart rate and nervousness.The thyroid gland is under continuous stimulation of circulating autoantibodies against the thyrotropin receptor, and pituitary TSH secretion is suppressed due to increased production of thyroid hormones. The proportion of women to men is as high as 7:1. It reaches its peak incidence between the third and fourth decades and the reason for the female predominance in this as in all thyroid diseases is unknown. This is a rare disease that affects 2 percent of women at some point in their lives.
Graves' disease is the name of the Irish physician who described several cases in the London Medical Journal in 1835. In some cases, Graves' disease goes into remission or disappears completely after several months or years. Similar antibodies can also attack the tissues of the eye muscles and pretibial skin (the skin on the front of the leg).