graves disease?

Question

can graves disease be triggered by trauma to the thyroid, as for example, a car crash resulting in the seat belt on the throat, hurting the thyroid

Answer 1

Graves disease is an auto-immune disease. So it can not be cause by a trauma to the thyroid. But I can tell you that my Graves disease was brought to a head and finally diagnosed because of a seat belt. I had already had Grave's disease for a decade or more, but it had gone undiagnosed. The seat belt caused my hyperthyroidism to suddenly get even worse, until it was absolutely unbearable. This caused me to finally start actively going to doctors about it, and 6 doctors later, I finally had a diagnosis and some help for my Grave's disease.

Answer 2

Significant trauma to the thyroid gland is extremely rare in people who survive the trauma because the the force needed to rupture the gland would likely collapse the trachea, which is fatal without immediate first aid. If the thyroid gland were somehow injured, it seems unlikely it could cause Graves disease unless the gland grew back at a larger size after healing. If anything, injury to the thyroid gland would be more likely to cause it to under-produce, rather than over-produce. If you are concerned you may have Grave's disease, a simple blood test is used to measure the hormones.

Answer 3

I was diagnosed last year and am taking anti thyroid medication however my most recent pain in conjunction to muscle and joint pain from another autoimmune disease is that I now have excruciating heal pain in my foot.....I despise this Graves Disease!

Answer 4

Anything that causes hyperthyroidism can lead to graves disease. Two symptoms to look out for are pre-tibial mxedema (swelling behind the knee) and exothalmos (bulging of the eyes). There are meds on the market to treat this condition so get tested if you suspect anything. Good Luck!