Are people with Graves disease more prone to developing other autoimmune problems?
It’s true that people with Graves’ disease tend to develop other autoimmune problems more often than people without Graves’ disease. However, it is also true that many (or, perhaps, most) people with Graves’ disease have no other autoimmune problems. An autoimmune disease is one that occurs when the immune system attacks normal body tissues rather than a foreign invader (such as an infectious agent). In people with Graves’ disease, the immune system produces abnormal antibodies that stimulate the thyroid gland. This leads to excess thyroid hormone. Symptoms include anxiety, tremulousness, weight loss, and a decreased tolerance for heat. In addition, some people with Graves’ disease develop eye problems (double vision, irritation, bulging of or swelling around the eyes) or a lumpy, thickened area over the shins (called pretibial myxedema). Other autoimmune conditions thought to be associated with Graves’ disease include: • Chronic, autoimmune (Hashimoto’s) thyroiditis – An immune attack
