Graves’ Disease Specialist in Palo Alto, CA

Roughly 1% of the population in the U.S. - or around 1 in 200 people – have Graves’ Disease. It's the most common cause of hyperthyroidism, or overactive thyroid, making up 60–80% of cases.

If you’ve been experiencing unexplained weight loss, high blood pressure, nervousness, shaky hands, problems sleeping or a heartbeat that is fast or irregular, it could mean you have a hyperthyroid condition – or too much thyroid hormone. Determining whether an autoimmune condition known as Graves’ Disease is at the root is the key to successfully treating it.

Graves’ Disease can have dire complications. Irregular heartbeat, for example, can lead to blood clots, stroke, heart failure, and other heart-related issues. Available treatments – ranging from lifestyle modifications to radioactive iodine therapy – can be used to restore normal function of your immune system and thyroid gland.

You don’t have to struggle with the symptoms of Graves’ Disease. Treatment is available and effective. Available treatments – ranging from lifestyle modifications to thyroid medication or radioactive iodine therapy – can be used to restore normal function of your immune system and thyroid gland.

Don’t allow Graves’ Disease to impact your quality of life. Compile your list of symptoms and contact Water’s Edge Natural Medicine in Palo Alto, CA, to discuss options for achieving a healthier life. Schedule a consultation today with us by contacting us online or calling us at (650) 240-4868!

What is Graves’ Disease?

Graves’ Disease is a disorder where the immune system attacks the thyroid gland. Your thyroid gland is a small gland located just under your Adam’s apple. In appearance, it’s about the size and shape of a tiny butterfly. While small, it has a tremendous impact on your energy levels, physical and mental wellness, and overall hormonal health.

In Graves’ Disease, the autoimmune response triggers the overproduction of thyroid hormones (hyperthyroidism). While other diseases can also lead to hyperthyroidism, Graves’ Disease is the most common. The condition takes its name from Dr. Robert Graves, an Irish physician who first described the condition in the 1800s. Learn more about thyroid disease and autoimmune disease and our approach at Water’s Edge Natural Medicine.

If you are struggling with Graves’ Disease, working with a doctor who understands the complexity of both thyroid function and autoimmune disease – as well as the myriad treatment options that may maximize your healing potential – is essential. At Water’s Edge Natural Medicine, we offer the most up-to-date and comprehensive testing and treatment to bring renewed health and healing from the troubling symptoms of Graves’ Disease.

Risk Factors for Graves’ Disease

Graves' disease can attack any individual, but some of the risk factors for Graves’ Disease include:

• Gender – With a ratio of 5:1, women are more likely to develop Graves’ Disease than men. It is thought to be related to female hormones. In general, one in eight women are estimated to suffer with thyroid-related health issues.
• Genetics – A family history of Graves’ Disease makes you more likely to develop this condition.
• Autoimmune Disease – If you are already suffering with other autoimmune diseases, like Addison’s Disease, Celiac Disease, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Type 1 Diabetes or Lupus, you are more likely to develop thyroid-related autoimmune diseases like Graves’ Disease and TED.
• Age - Incidence increases with age, with most cases occurring in people between the ages of 30 and 50. Graves’ Disease can, however, be diagnosed at any age, including in childhood.
• Smoking – Smoking is one of the lifestyle factors that has a causal or exacerbating effect on Graves’ Disease. Quitting smoking is one of the most effective steps you can take.
• Illness – Illnesses like viruses are suspected as triggers for Graves’ Disease.

Causes of Graves’ Disease

Graves’ Disease is an autoimmune condition where your immune system creates an antibody called thyroid-stimulating immunoglobulin (TSI) that attaches to your thyroid cells, causing your thyroid to make too much thyroid hormone – known as hyperthyroidism.

TSI acts similarly to thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), the hormone made naturally in your pituitary gland that tells your thyroid how much thyroid hormone to make. Researchers are unclear on why this autoimmune malfunction occurs in some people, but it is theorized that there is both a genetic factor involved as well as a triggering event, like a virus.

Symptoms of Graves’ Disease

A wide array of symptoms could signal the onset of Graves’ Disease, and each individual has his or her own unique experience. Symptoms of an overactive thyroid, as we see with Graves’ Disease, or with other forms of hyperthyroidism, may include:

• Anxiety, irritability or nervousness
• Insomnia or difficulty sleeping even while fatigued
• Weight loss
• Fatigue
• High blood pressure
• Diarrhea or frequent bowel movements
• Sweating or warm, moist skin
• Tremors in hands or fingers
• Sensitivity to heat
• Enlarged thyroid gland (goiter)
• Reduced sex drive, and erectile dysfunction in men
• Increased appetite (with unexplained weight loss)
• Changes or problems with the menstrual cycle, fertility, and pregnancy
• Eye problems including Thyroid Eye Disease aka Graves’ Ophthalmopathy, characterized by bulging eyes (see more below)
• Thick, discolored skin aka Graves' dermopathy (mostly on shins or tops of feet)
• Irregular or fast heartbeat (palpitations)

Estimates suggest anywhere from 25-50% of people with Graves' disease have related symptoms that affect the eyes, like Thyroid eye disease (TED), the symptoms of which may include:

• Red or inflamed eyes
• Itchy eyes
• Watery eyes or, alternately, dry eyes
• Feeling a frequent need to rub your eyes or blink
• Blurry vision
• Bulging eyes
• Vision loss
• Puffy, swollen eyelids or eyelids that fail to cover the entire eyeball (retracted eyelids)
• Pressure or pain in eyes
• Gritty sensation in eyes
• Sensitivity to light
• Double vision

TED is considered a unique disease in its own right. Though usually associated with Graves’ Disease, it can also occur, though rarely, in patients with normal or even low thyroid function, where the immune system attacks the muscles and tissues surrounding the eyes.

Diagnosing Graves’ Disease

At your initial consultation, we will conduct a full assessment of your symptoms and take a complete medical history to accurately diagnose Graves’ Disease. We may need to rule out other conditions that may have similar symptoms. Come prepared: we recommend that you prepare a list of symptoms prior to your first consultation. We will also review your lifestyle factors, current medications and other health concerns.

Our goal is to diagnose and treat what is causing the hormonal imbalance that is at the root of Graves’ Disease symptoms. Sometimes hormone irregularities signal the presence of illness or disease. That is why a thorough diagnostic process is so important when treating thyroid hormonal imbalance.

We recommend that you prepare a list of symptoms prior to your first consultation. At your initial consultation, we will take a complete medical history and perform a physical exam, which will include a comprehensive assessment of your symptoms. To diagnose Graves’ Disease, we may require specific types of hormone testing. We may also need to administer additional medical tests to rule out other conditions with similar symptom profiles.

To confirm a diagnosis of Graves’ Disease, we may order one or more thyroid tests, including blood tests that measure thyroid hormones and check for the presence of TSI, as well as a radioactive iodine uptake test to measure how much iodine your thyroid is utilizing to manufacture thyroid hormones. Generally, with Graves’ Disease, your thyroid is taking up large amounts of iodine. A Doppler ultrasound may also be helpful – especially if you are pregnant or breastfeeding and the radioactive iodine uptake test is not an option for you.

A thyroid scan is sometimes necessary to differentiate other causes of hyperthyroidism by showing where and how iodine is distributed in your thyroid.

At Water’s Edge Natural Medicine in Palo Alto, CA, we understand that your diagnosis of Graves’ Disease is the first step in addressing autoimmune disease, rebalancing your thyroid hormones and stabilizing your overall mental and physical health.

Treating Graves’ Disease

Addressing thyroid hormone irregularities, including hypothyroid conditions like Graves’ Disease, requires experience and an understanding of both thyroid and autoimmune conditions.

Typically, conventional treatments that have been used to treat Graves’ Disease range from anti-thyroid drugs to radioactive iodine therapy, and in the most extreme cases, thyroidectomy surgery. Especially alarming symptoms like high blood pressure and irregular heartbeat may require immediate intervention, depending on severity.

There are, however, many interventions that can restore normal thyroid function and enable many patients with Graves’ Disease to achieve remission without extreme measures. In some cases, treatment may be targeted to symptoms to address them in the short term while continuing to intervene in the root causes of the disease over a longer term.

Since Graves’ Disease symptoms manifest differently in each individual, the course of treatment will vary with each individual patient. After comprehensive thyroid hormone testing, some of our treatment options may include:

• Recommended lifestyle modifications that support thyroid health
• Medical nutrition plan to optimize thyroid hormone balance
• Herbal remedies
• Identifying and addressing food allergies and sensitivities, as well as environmental allergies that may be contributing to your hyperthyroid condition caused by Graves’ Disease
• Carefully selected vitamins, supplements or IV vitamin therapy
• Stress reduction
• A customized movement regimen that is appropriate for your physical condition
• Acupuncture
• And more!

We utilize hormone testing to optimize your hormone levels. Many patients have had their thyroid values tested and been told that they are "normal." Unfortunately, in conventional medicine, the ranges for "normal" thyroid function are overly broad. In Naturopathic Medicine, we like to see your thyroid hormones in a much narrower range, as this is a better reflection of "optimal" thyroid function. We use blood tests to determine if you are falling into the optimal range, and also to determine if the cause of your thyroid imbalance is due to an autoimmune condition.

We then proceed to support the thyroid with natural medications including nutrients and glandular medications. We will discuss your individualized Graves’ Disease treatment protocol in detail, including treatment duration, possible side effects, dosing, and a timeline for when you can expect to see effects.

If you are struggling with Graves’ Disease, working with a physician who understands the complexity of thyroid health and autoimmune disease is essential. A very specialized type of expertise and care is required to address all of the issues that arise from Graves’ Disease. The specific course of treatment will vary with each individual patient, especially since Graves’ Disease symptoms may manifest differently in each person. We will create a treatment plan designed just for you.

At Water’s Edge Natural Medicine in Palo Alto, CA, we offer the most up-to-date and comprehensive testing and treatment to bring renewed thyroid health, balanced immune function, and freedom from the troubling symptoms of Graves’ Disease.

Request Your Appointment Today!

We are happy to answer any questions you may have about your Graves’ Disease symptoms and our array of healing, rejuvenating and balancing approaches to help you recover from Graves’ Disease, heal your immune system, and restore thyroid function. Compile your list of symptoms and reach out to Water’s Edge Natural Medicine in Palo Alto, CA to schedule a consultation today! Contact us online or call us at (650) 240-4868!

Our Location