The thyroid is one of the few organs in the body that avidly takes up iodine. This allows radioactive iodine to selectively damage the thyroid gland without affecting other parts of the body. The thyroid gland is eventually destroyed and disappears and the body no longer produces its own thyroid hormone. In general, this treatment can be used in patients with Graves' disease or in those patients with nodules in the thyroid gland causing hyperthyroidism.
Not all cases of hyperthyroidism respond well to radioactive iodine. After radioactive iodine most patients will require thyroid hormone replacement with levothyroxine Synthroid, Levothroid, and other brand names. Thyroid hormone levels will be checked frequently at the beginning, and then often are only checked once a year after the correct dose of thyroid hormone for the patient has been determined. Some patients will have their hyperthyroidism treated by having part or all of their thyroid surgically removed.
Often, surgical thyroidectomy is recommended over RAI in the following circumstances:. Updated visitor guidelines. Causes of Hyperthyroidism Hyperthyroidism can be caused by a number of things: Toxic nodule - A single nodule or lump in the thyroid can produce more thyroid hormone than the body needs and lead to hyperthyroidism.
Toxic multinodular goiter - If the thyroid gland has several nodules, those nodules can sometimes produce too much thyroid hormone causing hyperthyroidism. This is most often found in patients over 50 years old. In many cases, a person may have had a multinodular goiter for several years before it starts to produce excess amounts of thyroid hormone.
Graves' disease - Graves' disease is an autoimmune disorder in which the body's immune system attacks the thyroid. In some patients, the eyes may be affected. Patients may notice the eyes become more prominent, the eyelids do not close properly, a gritty sensation and general irritation of the eyes, increased tear production, or double vision.
Like other autoimmune diseases, this condition may occur in other family members and is much more common in women than in men. Nodules are usually non-cancerous benign , but they may contain thyroid tissue, which can result in the production of excess thyroid hormones. It's not known why some people develop thyroid nodules, but they usually affect people over 60 years of age.
An increased level of iodine in your body can cause your thyroid to produce excess thyroid hormones. This can occasionally happen if you're taking medicine that contains iodine, such as amiodarone, which is sometimes used to control an irregular heartbeat arrhythmia. An overactive thyroid that's caused by a medicine will usually improve once you stop taking that medicine, although it may take several months for your thyroid hormone levels to return to normal.
Page last reviewed: 24 September Next review due: 24 September This results from a buildup of protein in the skin. It often occurs on the shins and on the tops of the feet. An uncommon manifestation of Graves' disease, called Graves' dermopathy, is the reddening and thickening of the skin, most often on your shins or the tops of your feet.
A number of medical conditions can cause the signs and symptoms associated with Graves' disease. See your doctor if you experience any potential problems related to Graves' disease to get a prompt and accurate diagnosis. Seek emergency care if you're experiencing heart-related signs and symptoms, such as a rapid or irregular heartbeat, or if you develop vision loss. Graves' disease is caused by a malfunction in the body's disease-fighting immune system. It's unknown why this happens.
The immune system normally produces antibodies designed to target a specific virus, bacterium or other foreign substance. In Graves' disease — for reasons that aren't well understood — the immune system produces an antibody to one part of the cells in the hormone-producing gland in the neck thyroid gland.
Normally, thyroid function is regulated by a hormone released by a tiny gland at the base of the brain pituitary gland. The antibody associated with Graves' disease — thyrotropin receptor antibody TRAb — acts like the regulatory pituitary hormone. That means that TRAb overrides the normal regulation of the thyroid, causing an overproduction of thyroid hormones hyperthyroidism.
Graves' ophthalmopathy results from a buildup of certain carbohydrates in the muscles and tissues behind the eyes — the cause of which also isn't known. It appears that the same antibody that can cause thyroid dysfunction may also have an "attraction" to tissues surrounding the eyes.
Graves' ophthalmopathy often appears at the same time as hyperthyroidism or several months later. But signs and symptoms of ophthalmopathy may appear years before or after the onset of hyperthyroidism.
Graves' ophthalmopathy can also occur even if there's no hyperthyroidism. Although anyone can develop Graves' disease, many factors can increase the risk of disease, including:.
Thyroid storm. A rare but life-threatening complication of Graves' disease is thyroid storm, also known as accelerated hyperthyroidism or thyrotoxic crisis. It's more likely when severe hyperthyroidism is untreated or treated inadequately. The sudden and drastic increase in thyroid hormones can produce many effects, including fever, sweating, vomiting, diarrhea, delirium, severe weakness, seizures, irregular heartbeat, yellow skin and eyes jaundice , severe low blood pressure, and coma.
Thyroid storm requires immediate emergency care. Graves' disease care at Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission.
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