Bazedova’s disease is today considered the most common thyroid disease. This is an autoimmune disease, which is characterized by an increased effect of antibodies on the gland, as a result of which it produces too many hormones. In medicine, this disease is known as diffuse toxic goiter. Indeed, the disease is accompanied by intense proliferation of thyroid tissue and the formation of goiter.
Bazedova disease: causes
As already mentioned, toxic goiter belongs to the group of autoimmune diseases. As a result of the defect, the lymphocytes of the human body produce abnormal protein compounds that stimulate the activity of the gland.
As a rule, this disease is transmitted genetically, therefore it is quite common among children and adolescents. In addition, the risk of developing toxic goiter is significantly higher in people with diabetes, vitiligo and Addison's disease. Bazedova's disease may indicate the presence of foci of chronic infections in the body. The same disease occurs when a large amount of the radioactive isotope of iodine enters the body.
Bazedova's disease: symptoms
The disease begins quite imperceptibly. The first symptoms are sleep disturbance, hyperactivity, frequent mood swings, migraines, panic attacks. Then sweating, trembling in the limbs. A person dramatically loses weight, despite a normal diet. Sick people, as a rule, do not tolerate heat well, they are hot even in the cool season.
As the disease develops, symptoms also appear on the part of the visual system. The eyes become large and shiny. In some cases, ocular development develops. A person complains of a burning sensation and a feeling of sand under the eyelids. Blood circulation in the eyeballs is impaired, resulting in frequent conjunctivitis and inflammation. The skin on the eyelids darkens.
Over time, an enlargement of the thyroid gland begins. It is hard to the touch, and touching it causes pain. Signs from the digestive system are also observed - this is nausea, diarrhea, vomiting. A person also complains of a rapid heartbeat. In more severe cases, heart failure may develop.
Excess thyroid hormones also affect other parts of the endocrine system. Therefore, quite often the disease accompanied by a violation of the menstrual cycle, decreased sex drive, problems with potency.
Bazedova's disease: treatment and diagnosis
Treatment of such a disease can only be carried out by an experienced endocrinologist - you can’t try to cope with the disease yourself using grandmother’s recipes. The patient must undergo a number of studies, including ultrasound examination and a blood test for hormone levels. Only then will a final diagnosis be made.
Conservative treatment methods include taking special medications that inhibit and slow down the synthesis of thyroid hormones. In the beginning, as a rule, large doses are prescribed, which gradually decrease in the process of recovery. Acceptance of such drugs last at least a year.
In the event that Basedov's disease is not amenable to medical treatment, the patient may be prescribed an operation during which the surgeon removes part of the gland. This does not eliminate the problem, but reduces the negative effects of hormones on the human body. After surgery, the patient needs a course of medication.
Another method is often used - treatment with radioactive iodine, which is artificially introduced into the tissue of the thyroid gland, as a result of which the cells begin to die slowly. But such treatment is used only for patients who are no longer going to have children.