Some information I found about what causes Graves Disease What Causes Graves Disease? Hormones secreted by the thyroid gland control metabolism, or the speed at which the body converts food into energy. Metabolism is directly linked to the amount of hormones that circulate in the bloodstream. If, for some reason, the thyroid gland secretes an overabundance of these hormones, the bodys metabolism goes into high gear, producing the pounding heart, sweating, trembling, and weight loss typically experienced by hyperthyroid people. Normally, the thyroid gets its production orders through another chemical called thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), released by the pituitary gland in the brain. But in Graves disease, a malfunction in the bodys immune system releases abnormal antibodies that mimic TSH. Spurred by these false signals to produce, the thyroids hormone factories work overtime and exceed their normal quota.
Posted on: Mon, 07 Jul 2014 05:08:40 +0000