Graves Eye Disease and Hyperthyroid

January is Thyroid Awareness Month

January is thyroid awareness month!  Even though it is quickly coming to a close, it's not too late to share with you information I found as part of an awareness campaign by the American College of Endocrinology on the importance of endocrine health.  It's called The Power of Prevention. 

In their magazine (Download POP_magazine_Jan2009_final), you can read about thyroid cancer, hyperthyroidism (including Grave's Disease), hypothyroidism, thyroid nodules, Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, various treatment options (such as radioiodine therapy RAI) and much more.  It's a 32 page resource chock full of information.  I was excited to find it and wanted to share it with you here. 

You can also go directly to the "power of prevention" website here.

Questions to ask when diagnosed with Graves' Disease (#3): What is the difference between Grave's Disease and Hyperthyroid?

Right at the top of the list of questions to ask your doctor (and read about yourself) is:  what is the difference between Grave's Disease and Hyperthyroid?

Maybe you didn't know that Grave's Disease is actually an autoimmune disorder.  That means your immune system, for whatever reason, is the problem--not your thyroid itself.  Your thyroid gets attacked by your immune system.  Grave's Disease happens to be the most common form of hyperthyroid.

You should explore this discussion with your doctor.  Understanding the underlying root cause of your Grave's Disease is important in your treatment.

A new site found--wide variety of information on thyroid disorders

I found a great new reference resource on the web this evening--ThyroidManager.org.  Here's a quote from the home page:

"Thyroid Disease Manager^@ offers an up-to-date analysis of thyrotoxicosis, hypothyroidism, thyroid nodules and cancer, thyroiditis, and all aspects of human thyroid disease and thyroid physiology. It provides physicians, researchers, and trainees (as well as patients) around the world with an authoritative, current, complete, objective, free, and down-loadable source on the thyroid. This website is directed to helping physicians care for their patients with thyroid problems. WWW.THYROIDMANAGER.ORG is updated continually with important new information, and major revisions are done annually."

This is an excellent resource and very up to date.  I've only skimmed parts of it that apply to me, but will spend a great deal more time purusing the information at a later date.  Interested too?  Off you go, click here:  Thyroid Disease Manager

I also just added to the growing list of my favorite links.

Stress and Graves Disease

According to Elaine Moore in her book Thyroid Eye Disease , (see p. 79 in chapter 8) ". . .stress is known to be the number one trigger for Graves' disease and is known to worsen symptoms in patients with Graves Ophthalmopathy."

I have absolutely no doubt that stress was high on the list of factors in my case.  I've spent years working in stressful jobs at my employer (love the work, but it's intense!), moved 5 times in 7 years criss-crossing the country (all job transfers), had assignments where I worked 60-70 hours a week for months on end.  Not exactly a good work-life balance situation.  Stress takes its toll and even good things that happen to you can be stressful.

Then, in early 2005, we had just over 100 people in our department.  By the end of the first quarter more than half were gone, encouraged to leave the company with "buyout" packages.  We restructured, the 2nd time since I'd joined the department in January 2004, and we all took on more work.  With half the people.  As one of the leaders of the group, it was my responsibility to not only sit down with many employees and ask them to leave the company, but then I also lead and guided the remaining employees on my team through a very difficult transition.  We'd just gone through this a couple of years ago too. 

Then my father got sick in the early morning hours following father's day--what was thought to be appendicitis turned out to be colon cancer and one week later he had major surgery.  It was when my mom and I would go visit him in the hospital that I noticed, and mentioned to her, that my eyelids opened at different rates.  I'd never noticed it before.  There was a reason.  It was the start of all the symptoms I would later experience.  Then just a few short months later I'd put a name with them--Graves Disease.

Again, I have no doubt that the work stress and personal stress I experienced over the years likely triggered my Graves Disease.

More to come on coping with stress, but it's essential that you do.  The affect stress has on your autoimmune system is HUGE.  Take it from me and my firsthand experience.