GRAVES DISEASE

The overproduction of thyroid hormones by the thyroid gland causing palpitation, restlessness accompanied by fear or anxiety, fidgeting, insomnia, flushed face, aversion to heat, sweating, bitter taste in mouth, rapid pulse, irritability, protruding thyroid gland, sometimes bulging eyes, weight loss, emotional instability.

Western medicine ascribes the cause to antibodies stimulating the thyroid gland to over produce thyroid hormones. Anti bodies and high levels of thyroid hormones are found in the blood.

Surgery and drugs will return the thyroid to normal function but a lot of the symptoms still remain.

Chinese medicine says the high thyroid antibody and hormone count is the result of excess heat rising from a hot and agitated liver. This heat accelerates the function of the immune system (anti-body production) and the thyroid gland (thyroid hormone production).

The disease affects mainly women 4:1 males. And is triggered by sudden severe emotional upset giving rise to feelings of anger, frustration and resentment, or long term depressing life circumstances. Too much alcohol, drugs and drug medicines such as the paracetamol in headache and cold and flu tablets can exacerbate the condition as can the internally produced heat of menopause.

Chinese herbs and/or acupuncture will cool and calm down the hot, agitated liver which in turn will calm down the thyroid and immune system returning them to normal function while removing all the symptoms. As heart and kidney deficiency can complicate the condition it is not wise to self treat.

See a practitioner of chinese herbal medicine for diagnosis and treatment of your particular type of Graves disease.

Posted: 7 Apr 2006

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