Is Graves’ Disease Classed as a Chronic Illness?

Most patients ask a common question: "Is Graves' Disease categorized as a chronic disease or illness?"

The answer is: "yes" and it is justifiable according to the risk factors and progression of the problem.

Risk Factors

Grave’s disease is a type of autoimmune disease and hence, it attacks specific tissues of a human body and in this disease, it causes over activity of thyroid glands. The problem takes place because of the antibodies production against the thyroid stimulating hormone or TSH receptor leading to continuous thyroid gland stimulation to secrete and synthesize thyroid hormones of T3 and T4 in excessive quantities. Other than this, you will find genetic components present in the disease and its development, as linked with the presence of specific genes in patients. Graves’ disease sometimes has close association with various other types or forms of autoimmune disorders, including pernicious anemia, dependent mellitus of diabetes problem, collagen diseases, and rheumatoid arthritis.

Progression of the Disease

Other than the risk factors associated with Graves’ disease, one can say the problem is a chronic one based on progression of the same problem. Graves’ disease features hyperthyroidism and an additional disease among the following i.e. eyeballs protrusion or exophthalmos, goiter and pretibial myxoedema i.e. swelling of the skin present above the ankle’s lateral bones. According to experts, the Graves’ disease is a chronic one because it has many fluctuating courses. This means, a large number of patients show a pattern consisting of alternative remission and relapse, while 40% of patients show only one or two episode. Eventually, various patients start suffering from hypothyroid, while the problem remits in a spontaneous way.