Health A-Z

Medical Content Created by the Faculty of the
Harvard Medical School

Graves' Disease

Symptoms

Graves' disease can cause the following symptoms:

• Nervousness

• Insomnia

• Dramatic emotional swings

• Sweating

• Tremors and shakes

• Increased heart rate

• Frequent bowel movements

• Unexplained weight loss (often despite increased appetite)

• Sensitivity to warm temperatures (feeling hot all the time)

• Muscle weakness

• Shortness of breath

• Palpitations

In women, menstrual periods may become less frequent or stop altogether. In older people, particularly people with heart disease, the disease may cause heart failure or heart-related chest pain called angina.

Graves' disease also may cause:

• Goiter—Goiter is a swelling in the lower front portion of the neck caused by an enlarged thyroid gland.

• Eye symptoms—Graves' disease can cause swelling of tissues around the eyes, which creates a characteristic "staring" or "frightened" appearance. The eyes bulge out and the eyelids appear to be pulled back. There is less blinking. The person may have double vision, itching and weeping.

• Skin symptoms—Rarely, there may be swelling of the feet and lower legs. Skin in this swollen area may appear thicker and darker than normal skin, and it may itch.