Did you know that there are over 80 different types of autoimmune disorders that affect various organs, glands, systems and functions throughout the body? Graves’ disease is a common autoimmune disorder characterized by an overproduction of thyroid hormones.
The thyroid is considered one of the most important endocrine glands in the body, since it produces hormones that affect nearly every aspect of life: hunger, sleep, reproduction, energy levels, metabolism, body weight and more. You may have heard more about disorders caused by hypothyroidism, since they tend to be more common than hyperthyroid disorders. Hypothyroid conditions cause the thyroid to be underactive, meaning it doesn’t produce enough thyroid hormones.
In the U.S., Graves’ disease is the No. 1 cause of hyperthyroidism, or an overactive thyroid gland. (1) So, what is Graves’ disease, and how can you treat this common thyroid issue naturally?
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Graves’ disease was first identified by Irish physician Robert Graves about 150 years ago. (2) Graves’ disease symptoms can vary a lot depending on the individual and how severe the disorder has become. Because the thyroid gland has such widespread and important roles in the body, symptoms of Graves’ disease are usually very apparent and can affect overall well-being and health in many different ways. Graves’ disease is an autoimmune disorder that affects the entire thyroid gland and results from the overproduction of thyroid hormones, known as thyrotoxicosis.
In the medical world, an autoimmune disorder is considered a chronic illness, having no permanent cure and needing to be controlled over time through various lifestyle changes and sometimes medications, too. The primary goal of controlling Graves’ disease is to stop the overproduction of thyroid hormones, which helps lower Graves’ symptoms, including trouble sleeping, weight loss, eye bulging (known as Graves’ orbitopathy) and personality changes. (3)
As you’ll come to learn, managing stress is one of the most important ways to fight autoimmune disorders, since some studies find that up to 80 percent of patients who develop autoimmune disorders classify themselves as having suffered from high amounts of stress!
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It can be hard to diagnose and treat Graves’ disease because many people who have symptoms of abnormal thyroid activity also experience symptoms that can confused with other disorders. Some studies have found that for someone to be diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder like Graves’ disease, it usually requires the patient to visit an average of five doctors over the course of several years, causing a lot of uncertainty and grief in the process.
So it’s often a stressful road to arrive at a diagnosis of Graves’ disease, but fortunately many people are able to help control the disorder well once they make certain adjustments to their diets, stress levels and lifestyles.
Normally, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) is released by the pituitary gland in the brain and usually determines how much hormones the thyroid produces. But people with Graves’ disease experience a break in normal communication between the pituitary glad and thyroid gland, resulting in abnormal antibodies being released that mimic TSH and therefore cause too much thyroid hormone to be circulated into the bloodstream.
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These antibodies are called thyroid stimulating immunoglobulin (TSI) and thyrotropin receptor antibody (TRAb). TSI cells have a similar effect to TSH, which we need in adequate amounts to help the thyroid function normally. But TSI antibodies cause the thyroid gland to produce excess thyroid hormones above and beyond what is necessary and healthy.
Since the thyroid mistakes these antibodies for TSH, they can override normal signals sent from the pituitary gland and therefore cause hyperthyroidism. As TSI and TRAb levels rise, inflammation increases, which indicates that the immune system is working on overdrive and accidentally attacking the body’s own healthy tissue. A harmful cycle can develop in people with Graves’ disease because the more active the immune system becomes, the more bodily tissue is damaged and then more activated T-cells and auto-antibodies are released.
We produce several different kinds of thyroid hormones normally, including the types called T3 and T4. Compared to healthy people without autoimmune or thyroid disorders, on a blood test people with Graves’ disease show abnormally high levels of T3 and T4, low TSH, and a high presence of TSI antibodies.
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Some of the most noticeable effects of Graves’ disease are changes in someone’s weight, mood and appearance. That’s because hormones secreted by the thyroid gland control your metabolism — meaning your body’s ability to use nutrients and calories from the food you eat in order to have enough energy. You’ve likely heard and noticed that genetics play a big part in determining someone’s body weight. That’s because thyroid gland activity is somewhat hereditary — therefore so is the rate of someone’s metabolism. The metabolic rate is determined by the amount of available circulating thyroid hormones. So when the thyroid gland secretes an overabundance of these hormones, the metabolism can shoot up and cause weight loss, anxiousness and irritability.
A link also has been identified between Graves’ disease and another thyroid disorder known as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. Hashimoto’s is the most common cause of hypothyroidism and, like Graves’ disease, it’s also an autoimmune disorder. Hashimoto’s can sometimes develop after taking antithyroid medication as a treatment for Graves’ disease as the medication causes the thyroid to slow production of thyroid hormones and move towards hypothyroidism. (4)
Many people with Graves’ suffer from physical feelings associated with anxiety, including fast heartbeat (or “pounding heart”), increased sweating, trembling, changes in appetite, trouble with digesting food normally and difficulty getting good sleep. Your physician will likely refer you to an endocrinologist, or hormone specialist, to diagnose these symptoms and develop a treatment plan.
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There is controversy surrounding the best way to manage the disease. Each case is individual, requiring a discussion between the patient and her endocrinologist. Each option has its own risks and benefits and none is particularly ideal. The choice of treatment plan may also be impacted by other factors such as patient preference; geographical location and availability of health care services (such as access to certain treatments); whether or not the patient is pregnant; and the potential impact of co-existing morbidities. (6)
Several studies, involving both humans and animals, show that stress can ignite autoimmune reactions and worsen inflammation. That’s probably why such a high percentage of Graves’ disease patients report having experienced trauma or chronic stress before developing the disease. Research demonstrates that stress causes both physical and psychological changes that impact how the immune system works, causing a downstream of neuro-endocrine alterations that can wind up leading to autoimmune disorders and tissue damage. (7)
Stress can raise levels of cortisol and adrenaline, which disturb neurotransmitter function and worsen symptoms of thyroid disease. To keep stress from aggravating Graves’ disease, build stress-reducing practices into your day, including natural stress relievers such as: exercise, meditation, prayer, spending time in nature, using essential oils, massage therapy, acupuncture or volunteering for a good cause.
Hyperthyroidism Diet: Foods To Eat And Avoid
Reducing inflammation through a healthy diet is one of the best ways to enhance immune function, create a healthy gut environment and manage your autoimmune symptoms. Inflammation can partially be traced to an unhealthy gut “microbiota” that is caused by nutrient deficiencies, food allergies or sensitivities, which all raise autoimmune activity. (8)
Some of the ways that your diet might trigger autoimmune reactions include eating common allergens like gluten and dairy products, which the immune system can actually register as a threat when they aren’t digested properly. Allergens can contribute to leaky gut syndrome, in which small particles leak out into the bloodstream through tiny openings in the gut lining, triggering autoimmunity.
A well-rounded diet that’s filled with anti-inflammatory foods and free from toxin overload helps resolve bacterial imbalances in the gut that make symptoms worse.
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It’s also important to avoid foods that are high in iodine as it increases levels of thyroid hormone. These include foods such as iodized salt, egg yolks and seaweed. For this same reason, avoid certain herbs and plants, including bladderwrack (a sea plant). Some herbs also have thyroid-stimulating properties, such as ashwaganda. Speak with your natural health care practitioner or herbalist before taking herbal supplements.
Exercise is a great way to help control stress and lower inflammation, as long as it’s enjoyable and doesn’t involve overtraining, which may make you even more irritable. Do some sort of exercise daily that makes you feel happier, less anxious and hopefully helps you sleep. Soothing exercises that can work well include dancing, yoga, cycling or swimming. Listening to music while exercising is another great way to “get into the zone” and feel more relaxed afterward. (9)
Another reason to eat a nutrient-rich diet and to exercise is to help protect your bones, since having a thyroid disorder already interferes with your ability to maintain bone strength. Having very high levels of thyroid hormone interferes with your body’s normal ability to incorporate calcium or other minerals into your bones. This means you need to do whatever you can to lower bone loss in other ways. Strength training, including doing bodyweight exercises at home, helps keep bones strong as you age.
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Cigarette smoking and exposure to tobacco and other recreational drugs has been found to be a potential trigger for autoimmune disorders, including Graves’ disease. It’s not exactly clear how cigarettes might make Graves’ disease worse, but it’s
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