Symptoms of Graves' Disease

The most common symptoms of Grave’s Disease, or thyroid over-stimulation include insomnia, irritability, weight loss without dieting, heat sensitivity, increased perspiration, fine or brittle hair, muscular weakness, eye changes, lighter menstrual flow, rapid heart beat, and hand tremors. Grave’s Disease is the only kind of hyperthyroidism that is associated with inflammation of the eyes, swelling of the tissue around the eyes, and protrusion, or bulging, of the eyes. Some patients will develop lumpy reddish thickening of the skin in front of the shins called pretibial myxedema. This skin condition is usually painless. The symptoms of this disease can occur gradually or very suddenly and are sometimes confused with other medical problems. Women can have Grave’s Disease and have no obvious symptoms at all.