National Center for Advancing and Translational Sciences Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center, a program of the National Center for Advancing and Translational Sciences

Graves disease

Not a rare disease Not a rare disease
Other Names:
Basedow disease; Exophthalmic goiter; Parry disease; Basedow disease; Exophthalmic goiter; Parry disease; Graves' hyperthyroidism See More
Categories:
Graves' disease is an autoimmune disorder that leads to overactivity of the thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism). It is caused by the immune system mistakenly attacking the thyroid gland, causing the gland to produce too much thyroid hormone. Graves disease is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism and occurs most often in women over age 20. However, the disorder may occur at any age and can affect males as well.[1][2]

More common signs and symptoms of hyperthyroidism due to Graves' disease include irritability, a fast and irregular heartbeat, hand tremors, diarrhea, increased sweating, trouble sleeping, and weight loss. Some people develop abnormal enlargement of the thyroid gland (goiter). Women with Graves' disease may have irregular menstrual periods. In some cases, Graves' disease causes other problems such as Graves’ dermopathy (a condition marked by red, swollen skin), various eye abnormalities (such as bulging eyes, vision problems, pain, or swelling), emotional or behavioral changes, heart-related complications, or bone problems (such as osteoporosis).[2][3][4][5]

Treatment for hyperthyroidism and its symptoms may include radioiodine therapy, antithyroid drugs, and/or thyroid surgery.[2] Most people eventually develop hypothyroidism after treatment for hyperthryoidism; this is treated with a daily synthetic thyroid hormone pill.[4] Graves' dermopathy may be treated with corticosteroids and/or compression wraps.[6] Eye problems may not improve after thyroid treatment and may be treated separately with eyedrops, rituximab, or rarely, surgery or radiation therapy.[1][2]
Last updated: 4/16/2018

This table lists symptoms that people with this disease may have. For most diseases, symptoms will vary from person to person. People with the same disease may not have all the symptoms listed. This information comes from a database called the Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO) . The HPO collects information on symptoms that have been described in medical resources. The HPO is updated regularly. Use the HPO ID to access more in-depth information about a symptom.

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Medical Terms Other Names
Learn More:
HPO ID
Percent of people who have these symptoms is not available through HPO
Abnormality of abdomen morphology 0001438
Abnormality of metabolism/homeostasis
Laboratory abnormality
Metabolism abnormality
[ more ] 		0001939
Autosomal recessive inheritance 0000007
Congestive heart failure
Cardiac failure
Cardiac failures
Heart failure
[ more ] 		0001635
Goiter
Enlarged thyroid gland in neck
0000853
Graves disease 0100647
Hyperactivity
More active than typical
0000752
Hyperhidrosis
Excessive sweating
Increased sweating
Profuse sweating
Sweating
Sweating profusely
Sweating, increased
[ more ] 		0000975
Hyperreflexia
Increased reflexes
0001347
Irritability
Irritable
0000737
Muscle weakness
Muscular weakness
0001324
Onycholysis
Detachment of nail
0001806
Polyphagia
Voracious appetite
0002591
Pretibial myxedema 0200028
Proptosis
Bulging eye
Eyeballs bulging out
Prominent eyes
Prominent globes
Protruding eyes
[ more ] 		0000520
Weight loss 0001824
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Last updated: 7/1/2020

If you need medical advice, you can look for doctors or other healthcare professionals who have experience with this disease. You may find these specialists through advocacy organizations, clinical trials, or articles published in medical journals. You may also want to contact a university or tertiary medical center in your area, because these centers tend to see more complex cases and have the latest technology and treatments.

If you can’t find a specialist in your local area, try contacting national or international specialists. They may be able to refer you to someone they know through conferences or research efforts. Some specialists may be willing to consult with you or your local doctors over the phone or by email if you can't travel to them for care.

You can find more tips in our guide, How to Find a Disease Specialist. We also encourage you to explore the rest of this page to find resources that can help you find specialists.

Healthcare Resources

Research helps us better understand diseases and can lead to advances in diagnosis and treatment. This section provides resources to help you learn about medical research and ways to get involved.

Clinical Research Resources

  • The Centers for Mendelian Genomics program is working to discover the causes of rare genetic disorders. For more information about applying to the research study, please visit their website.
  • ClinicalTrials.gov lists trials that are related to Graves disease. Click on the link to go to ClinicalTrials.gov to read descriptions of these studies.

    Please note: Studies listed on the ClinicalTrials.gov website are listed for informational purposes only; being listed does not reflect an endorsement by GARD or the NIH. We strongly recommend that you talk with a trusted healthcare provider before choosing to participate in any clinical study.

Patient Registry

  • The Autoimmune Registry supports research for Graves disease by collecting information about patients with this and other autoimmune diseases. You can join the registry to share your information with researchers and receive updates about participating in new research studies. Learn more about registries.

Support and advocacy groups can help you connect with other patients and families, and they can provide valuable services. Many develop patient-centered information and are the driving force behind research for better treatments and possible cures. They can direct you to research, resources, and services. Many organizations also have experts who serve as medical advisors or provide lists of doctors/clinics. Visit the group’s website or contact them to learn about the services they offer. Inclusion on this list is not an endorsement by GARD.

Organizations Supporting this Disease

Organizations Providing General Support

These resources provide more information about this condition or associated symptoms. The in-depth resources contain medical and scientific language that may be hard to understand. You may want to review these resources with a medical professional.

Where to Start

  • Genetics Home Reference contains information on Graves disease. This website is maintained by the National Library of Medicine.
  • MayoClinic.com has an information page on Graves disease.
  • MedlinePlus was designed by the National Library of Medicine to help you research your health questions, and it provides more information about this topic.
  • The National Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases Information Service, a service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), provides information on this topic. Click on the link to view the information on this topic.
  • The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) has a report for patients and families about this condition. NORD is a patient advocacy organization for individuals with rare diseases and the organizations that serve them.

In-Depth Information

  • Medscape Reference provides information on this topic. You may need to register to view the medical textbook, but registration is free.
    Graves disease
    Pediatric Graves disease
  • The Monarch Initiative brings together data about this condition from humans and other species to help physicians and biomedical researchers. Monarch’s tools are designed to make it easier to compare the signs and symptoms (phenotypes) of different diseases and discover common features. This initiative is a collaboration between several academic institutions across the world and is funded by the National Institutes of Health. Visit the website to explore the biology of this condition.
  • Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) is a catalog of human genes and genetic disorders. Each entry has a summary of related medical articles. It is meant for health care professionals and researchers. OMIM is maintained by Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. 
  • PubMed is a searchable database of medical literature and lists journal articles that discuss Graves disease. Click on the link to view a sample search on this topic.

Questions sent to GARD may be posted here if the information could be helpful to others. We remove all identifying information when posting a question to protect your privacy. If you do not want your question posted, please let us know.

  1. Wisse B. Graves disease. MedlinePlus. February 3, 2016; http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000358.htm.
  2. Graves' Disease. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). September, 2017; https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/endocrine-diseases/graves-disease. Accessed 4/21/2015.
  3. Graves disease. Genetics Home Reference (GHR). July, 2013; https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/graves-disease.
  4. Graves' disease. American Thyroid Association. https://www.thyroid.org/graves-disease/. Accessed 4/16/2018.
  5. About Graves' Disease. Graves' Disease & Thyroid Foundation (GDATF). https://www.gdatf.org/about/about-graves-disease/. Accessed 4/16/2018.
  6. Gill RS. Pretibial Myxedema. Medscape Reference. February 2, 2016; https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1103765-overview.