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Understanding Graves' Disease -- Symptoms

What Are the Symptoms of Graves' Disease?

The symptoms of Graves' disease include:

  • Weight loss despite increased appetite.
  • Faster heart rate, higher blood pressure, and increased nervousness.
  • Excessive perspiration.
  • Increased sensitivity to heat.
  • More frequent bowel movements.
  • Muscle weakness, trembling hands.
  • Development of a goiter (enlargement of the thyroid gland, causing a swelling at the base of the neck).
  • Bulging eyes.
  • Reddish, thickened, and lumpy skin in front of the shins.
  • In women, change in frequency or total cessation of menstrual periods.

Call Your Doctor About Graves' Disease If:

You are feverish, agitated, or delirious, and have a rapid pulse. You could be having a thyrotoxic crisis, in which the effects of too much thyroid hormone suddenly become life-threatening.

WebMD Medical Reference

Reviewed by John A. Seibel, MD on December 13, 2009
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