What causes hyperthyroidism?
• Graves’ disease, which is an autoimmune disease • Toxic nodules or goiters on the thyroid • Excessive thyroid medication given to hypothyroid sufferers • Iodine excess • Thyroiditis (an inflammation of the thyroid) I thought that hyperthyroidism and Graves’ Disease were the same thing? What’s the difference? Graves’ Disease is the most common type of hyperthyroidism. In Graves’ Disease, the condition is caused by a generalized overactivity of the entire thyroid gland. Graves’ disease is named after, Robert Graves, the physician who first described this form of hyperthyroidism. What’s the difference netween Graves’ Disease And “diffuse toxic goiter”? None – they’re different names for the same condition. The term “diffuse toxic goiter” just describes the condition (rather than the discoverer) as follows: • “Diffuse” – the entire thyroid gland is involved in the disease • “Toxic” – the patient will appear fevered, as if infected • “Goiter” – the thyroid gland often grows larger due to
