Graves' diseaseis an autoimmune disorder that can causehyperthyroidism(an overactive thyroid).
Therapies include anti-thyroid medications, radioactive iodine therapy, and, on rare occasions, surgery.
Your healthcare provider may also recommend imaging tests or a biopsy to rule out other conditions.
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Your healthcare provider will perform a physical exam to help confirm or rule out Graves' disease.
Blood tests are also used to check amounts ofthyroid-stimulating hormones(TSH).
High levels of iodine absorption can be a sign of Graves' disease.
During the test, you will be asked to swallow a small amount of radioactive iodine.
This is safe; this treatment targets thyroid cells only.
Your healthcare providers may recommend athyroid ultrasoundto rule outthyroid cancer(an unlikely occurrence).
Differential Tests
Tests may be done to rule out other conditions.
These are called differential tests.
However, the occurrence of this tumor is extremely rare.
Summary
Graves' diseaseis an autoimmune disorder that can causehyperthyroidism.
In some cases, albeit rare, your healthcare provider may recommend a biopsy to fully diagnose your condition.
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American Thyroid Association.Graves' disease.
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University of Michigan Health.Hyperthyroidism and Graves' disease.
UCLA Health.Radioactive iodine uptake test.
DeGroot LJ.Diagnosis and treatment of graves disease.
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MDText.com, Inc.; 2000.
