Diagnosis and Treatment of Grave's Disease

The only way to positively know if you have Graves' Disease is to visit your doctor. Your doctor will perform a simple blood test that will be able to tell if your body has the correct amount of thyroid hormones.

There are many treatments for Graves' Disease.

• Medications: There are some prescription medications that can lower the amount of thyroid hormones produced by the body, regulating them to normal levels.

• Surgery: Part or all of the thyroid gland will be removed. In most cases, people who have surgery for Graves' Disease will develop an under-active thyroid (hypothyroidism), and will have to take thyroid replacement hormones for the rest of their lives.

• Radioactive iodine: The iodine damages thyroid cells to shrink the thyroid gland, to reduce hormone levels. Like surgery, this condition usually leads to hypothyroidism, requiring medication for the rest of the patient's life.

After a diagnosis is made and a treatment is selected, you should return to your health care provider annually to make sure that your thyroid levels are normal and do not need to be adjusted.

If left untreated, Grave's Disease can lead to more serious complications, including birth defects in pregnancy, increased risk of a miscarriage, and in extreme cases, death. Graves’ Disease is often accompanied by an increase in heart rate, which may lead to further heart complications.