Graves' disease is the only kind of hyperthyroidism that has inflammation of the eyes, swelling of the tissues around the eyes, and bulging of the eyes. Graves-Basedow disease, also known simply as Graves' disease. Graves' disease is the most common form of hyperthyroidism. It occurs when your immune system mistakenly attacks your thyroid gland and causes it to overproduce the hormone called thyroxine. When the thyroid is too active, it makes more thyroid hormones than the body needs. High levels of thyroid hormones can cause side effects such as weight loss, rapid heart rate and nervousness. The thyroid gland is under continuous stimulation by circulating autoantibodies against the thyrotropin receptor, and pituitary thyrotropin secretion is suppressed because of the increased production of thyroid hormones. The ratio of women to men is as high as 7:1. It reaches its peak incidence between the third and forth decades and the reason for the female predominance in this as in all thyroid diseases is unknown. This is an uncommon disease that affects 2 percent of all women at some time in their lives. It is known to be related to an antibody mediated type of auto-immunity, but the trigger for the reaction is unknown. Once the disorder has been correctly diagnosed, it is quite easy to treat.

Graves' disease is named after the Irish physician who described several cases in the London Medical Journal in 1835. In some cases, Graves' disease goes into remission or disappears completely after several months or years. Similar antibodies may also attack the tissues in the eye muscles and in the pretibial skin (the skin on the front of the lower leg). There's also a genetic influence contributing to Graves' disease and it can run in families. In the case of Graves' disease, the body sees the thyroid gland as the foreign object and produces antibodies that attack the thyroid gland. This will often (but not in all cases) cause the thyroid gland to become over active. Graves' eye disease is currently believed to be due to a similar autoimmune reaction. Graves' disease can have an effect on many parts of the body such as the nervous system, eyes, skin, hair/nails, lungs, digestive system, muscles/bones and reproductive system. Although many patients with Graves' disease have redness and irritation of the eyes at some time, less than 1% ever develop enough inflammation of the eye tissues to cause serious or permanent trouble. Patients who have severe eye symptoms may benefit from visiting an eye doctor. Graves' disease is rarely fatal, and people seldom get extremely ill because of it.

Causes of Graves' disease

The common causes and risk factor's of Graves' disease include the following:

An autoantibody (called thyroid stimulating immunoglobulin, TSI) that acts like thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and that causes the thyroid gland to produce excess thyroid hormone.

Toxic multinodular goiter.

Toxemia of pregnancy.

Iodine excess.

Discontinuation of antithyroid medication.

Excessive thyroid medication given to hypothyroid sufferers.

Symptoms of Graves' disease

Some sign and symptoms related to Graves' disease are as follows:

Muscle weakness.

Heat intolerance.

Blurred or double vision.

Nervousness & irritability.

Weight loss.

Increased appetite.

Dislike of hot weather.

Itching.

Weak leg muscles.

Lighter menstrual flow.

Nervousness.

Sweating.

Increased eye tearing.

Infrequent or absent menstrual periods.

Treatment of Graves' disease

Here is list of the methods for treating Graves' disease:

Your doctor will prescribe either methimazole (Tapazole) or propylthiouracil (PTU) pills. These drugs act to prevent the thyroid from manufacturing the thyroid hormone.

Anti-thyroid drugs which inhibit production or conversion of the active thyroid hormone.

Surgical removal of most of the thyroid gland is the other alternative for severe cases of Graves' disease.

Fevers are treated with cooling measures and antipyretics.

Another medication, propranolol, is a beta-blocker that helps relieve the symptoms of Graves' disease including rapid heart rate, tremor, sweating and anxiety.

Radioactive iodine therapy: This is an alternative if drug treatment fails.

Iodinated contrast agents can also provide effective treatment for hyperthyroidism of any cause.

Both common cold and flu give symptoms from the ear, nose and throat, fever and symptoms from the rest of the body, and the symptoms of both diseases can vary between mild and very bad. By common cold, the symptoms from the windpipe come first and remain as the main symptoms.

By flu fever, pain in the rest of the body, nausea, feeling of weakness and other general symptoms are predominant. Symptoms from the windpipe are usually milder, but can gradually get somewhat worse. The symptoms from the windpipe may sometimes nearly lack.

THE CAUSES AND SYMPTOMS OF COMMON COLD

The common cold is caused by a large variety of viruses, which mutate quite frequently during reproduction, resulting in constantly changing virus strains.

Common cold is generally transmitted when drops coming out when a person sneezes or coughs get airborne and then are inhaled by another person. Transmission by direct contact with a sick person is also frequent. Between one-third and one-half of all people exposed to cold viruses become infected and develop symptoms after 1–2 days.

The symptoms from the windpipe are the strongest by common cold:

- The throat feels sore, and a sore throat is often the starting symptom.

- There will then be increased secretions of mucus form the nose, resulting in running nose and dryer secretions building up in the nose.

- The throat will also secrete more mucus, resulting in a wheezing sound, and possibly building up of dryer secretions also here.

- There will be swelling in the nose and throat.

- Cough and sneezing are important symptoms of common cold. These reactions are stimulated by the building up of secretions and of the swelling in the windpipe.

There may also be mild symptoms from the rest of the body.

- Mild to severe headache is common.

- A mild fever may occur.

- Some persons experience a little neck stiffness and pain in the neck when trying to flex it, but this symptom must not be great. If this symptom is great, it can be a sign of meningitis, a very serious disease.

THE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF COMMON COLD

Staying away from people being sick and strict washing habits can prevent the transmission of common cold, but it is difficult to carry through a strict enough regime of this sort in a populated society.

Because of the frequent variations of viruses causing common cold, successful immunization has not been developed.

The immune system of the body usually manages to beat down the infection within some days. By common cold one shall hold an activity level that is felt comfortable. It is not necessary to strictly restrict the daily activities level.

High doses of vitamin C have been proven to help prevent cold and get rid of the cold faster, but the doses that must be used are impractically high if vitamin C is used alone. However, a combination of lower doses of vitamin C with other natural substances may be useful.

Common treatments of cold have the aim of relieving symptoms and of strengthening the immune system so that it can beat the infection better. Pain killers such as aspirin and paracetamol relieve the pain by common cold effectively, and are the most common treatment for this disease. However, both drugs can give adverse reactions if they are used in greater amounts than recommended and even recommended doses can sometimes give dangerous effects.

Aspirin can cause internal bleeding and both aspirin and paracetamol can cause liver damage. For children and teens it is advised to use paracetamol, because the liver damage caused when young people take aspirin can be very severe. The drugs should therefore be used with caution and not in a too long period.

Drugs to loosen mucus, to decrease swelling, to decrease mucus production or to suppress the cough reflex can be effective to relieve symptoms. These drugs are often made to mainly loose mucus or mainly suppress exaggerated cough, but these two effects can be blended in the same drug. These drugs may be liquid, be prepared as nasal spray or as tablets to suck on. To choose the right drug for your child or yourself, you must examine to find out what are the main symptoms: Mucus production, whether the mucus is loose or hard, swelling or exaggerated cough.

Steam inhaling is a traditional treatment long used in many countries. The treatment can help loose the mucus so that the windpipe more easily is cleared by cough. The treatment may also to some extend destroy the virus.

The drug Pleconaril is ment to attack the viruses causing the majority of common colds, picornaviruses. The drug has been developed by ViroPharma Incorporated and Schering. The drug is available in oral form and inter-nasal formulations are being developed, but the efficacy of the drug is not clearly established and the drug is not yet approved for general use.

Interferons are used nasally in Eastern Europe to treat common cold. Interfeons are natural proteins than regulate the function of the immune system.

There exist herbal and mineral supplements on the marked that may strengthen the immune system and thus prevent cold from occurring, ameliorate the cold if it still occurs, and help the body to fight down the disease faster. These supplements often contain extracts of Echinacea Angustifolia. Treatment with this herb should not exceed two weeks.

THE CAUSES, SYMPTOMS AND COMPLICATIONS OF INFLUENZA

Like cold, influenza is caused by virus strains that mutate frequently, but there tend to be one main virus strain each year that spread throughout the globe.

The transmission of the disease occurs by secretions from sick persons. These secretions can be carried as drops through the air, contaminate surfaces people touch, or get into the food. Symptoms start one to four days after the virus has entered the body.

Flu often begins as a diffuse lack of wellness that persists for some hours, and sometimes for a couple of days. Sometimes the flu does not progress past this stage. However, after some time the symptoms often suddenly get worse with a great degree of general discomfort. By flu the symptoms from the windpipe are the same as by common cold, but they are weaker:

- The throat or nose feels sore, but usually mildly.

- There can be some increased secretions from the nose and throat.

- There will be swelling in the nose and throat.

- Cough and sneezing are symptoms.

Symptoms from the rest of the body are the strongest by flu. The symptoms can be distributed throughout the whole body:

- Flu often gives high fever. High fever is the most important symptom to separate influenza from common cold.

- In spite of the fever, there is often a feeling of coldness in some parts of the body or of general coldness.

- There will be nausea, often severe, and often vomiting. Severe nausea and vomiting are also good indications of influenza, especially by children and teens.

- There is often a marked feeling of tiredness and general weakness.

- Mild to severe headache is common.

- Stomach ache and digestive disturbances often occur by flu.

- Aching around in the body, for example in muscles and around joints is common.

- Some persons experience a little neck stiffness and pain in the neck when trying to flex it, but this symptom must not be great. If these symptoms are distinct, the disease can be meningitis.

- The eyes can be read and irritated.

- Also skin redness can occur.

Having flu decreases the resistance against other viral and bacterial diseases substantially, especially if one does not get enough rest and comfort when having flu. Lung infection and throat infection by bacteria are common complications by flu.

THE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF INFLUENZA

As with common cold staying away from people being sick and a strict washing regime may also prevent the transmission of the influenza virus, but such a regime is difficult to carry through.

It is often possible to prevent flu with vaccination. However there are many strains of the flu viruses, and therefore the vaccination must be given exactly against that strain being epidemic at any given time.

By flu it is important to reduce the activity level and keep oneself warm and comfortable until all the symptoms have resided. By severe symptoms, rest in bed is recommended. Straining and stressing during a flu episode easily result in an aggravated disease and additional bacterial or viral infections.

It is advised to stay away from tobacco when having flu.

Aspirin or paracetamol can be used to relieve the pain and bring down the fever. As by cold, paracetamol is commonly recommended, especially for children and teens. The drugs should not be taken in higher doses than recommended and even recommended does shall be used with caution, and not too long.

There exist modern drugs that help against the proliferation of some strains of influenza virus in the body, and thereby alleviate the disease and shorten the time it takes to get rid of the disease. The two classes of anti-virals are neuraminidase inhibitors and M2 inhibitors (adamantane derivatives). Neuraminidase inhibitors are most often preferred, for example the drug Tamiflu. These inhibit the action of the enzyme neuramidase that the virus uses. There is a reluctance to use these drugs because strains of virus not susceptible to the drug can develop, and the stores of the drug can easily get short with extensive use.

Drugs to decrease swelling, inhibit mucus production, loosen mucus and suppress cough can also be used by influenza as by common cold.

The same natural supplements used to improve the immune system against colds may also be of help to prevent flu and to help the body to overcome the disease faster, like supplements with Echinacea and vitamin c. Some herbs in the genus Scutellaria (skullcaps) contain a natural neuramidase inhibitor and may also help against flu. Scullcap is often prepared as tea.

DISTINGUISH COLD AND FLU FROM MENINGITIS

Meningitis is a serious disease that requires immediate treatment. Meningitis may begin with the same symptoms as cold and flu. There are however two symptoms that strongly suggest meningitis:

By meningitis there is often severe neck stiffness. If bending down the neck is very difficult and causes severe pain, the condition may be meningitis.

The other symptom is red spots in the skin that do not get pale when pressing at them. These spots can occur anywhere on the body.

THE IMPORTANCE OF CHECKING A PERSON HAVING COLD OR FLU-LIKE SYMPTOMS

When some person, and especially a child, gets sick with cold or flu-like symptoms it is necessary to measure the temperature, check for neck stiffness and to look at the whole body to detect any red spots. These checks should be done several times each 24 hours. In this way one more easily distinguishes between common cold and flu, and meningitis is more easily discovered in time.

If you have a Sulfite Allergy then you suffer from Allergies Type 1, also called Contact Allergies. Sulfites have been used for centuries as a preservative for drinks, foods and medication. They preserve the color and flavor and increase the shelf life by inhibiting bacterial growth. About 1 percent of the populations are allergic to sulfites. Sulfite allergy reactions tend to manifest in respiratory symptoms.

Prior to seeing any allergy specialist for testing you will need to stop taking any anti-allergy medication or over the counter antihistamines 2 to 3 days before the test are to be performed. Talk to the allergy specialist if you are unsure about any medications that need to be stopped and for how long.

Patients allergic to sulfite rarely show a positive allergic response to skin testing. The most reliable way to test for this allergy is commonly called The Food Challenge. You are told to avoid all sulfite-containing foods for several weeks.

Avoidance can be very difficult because sulfite is often hidden in other foods. Read the labels of every food that you bring into your home. Because the manufacturing processes change continuously re-read the labels each time you purchase a product. On January 1, 2006 a new law was passed stating that all labels should be designed in such a way that a 7-year-old child could read and understand the ingredients.

The doctor will then have you take pills containing sulfite under close supervision. If symptoms appear after ingesting the sulfites then you are allergic to sulfites and will need to avoid anything that has it on the label.

The USFDA requires the labeling of foods containing 10 ppm or more of sulfites and in 1986 the FDA banned the use of sulfites on fruits and vegetables that are eaten raw.

A growing awareness about food allergies is becoming well known in the United States. Food manufactures and restaurants are becoming more understanding and willing to accommodate people living with food allergies.

Living with any food allergy is no longer a major undertaking; it is now just a minor adjustment to your life-style. You will need to avoid baked goods, Soups, jams, canned vegetables, pickles, potato chips, dried fruit, trail mix, most condiments, shrimp, guacamole and anything that has sulfite, sodium bisulfite, sodium metabisulfite, potassium bisulfite and potassium metabisulfite on the label.

Some of the common vitamins used to treat sulfite allergy symptoms are Vitamins C, Quercetin, and Bromelain.

Vitamin C is nature's protective nutrient, essential for defending the body against pollution and infection and enhances the bodies immune system. Take 1,000 to 5,000 mg daily.

Quercitin is a well known flavonoid. Flavonoids are powerful antioxidants and can reduce inflammation boost the immune system and strengthen blood vessels and improve circulation. Quercitin is also known for its ability to block the release of histamines, thus reducing or preventing allergy symptoms. Take 500 mg twice daily.

Bromellain will enhance the absorption of Quercetin. Take 100 mg twice daily.

Always consult your doctor before using this information.

This Article is nutritional in nature and is not to be construed as medical advice.

Cough is not a disease actually; it is a symptom of any kind of obstruction in the respiratory tract. Coughs can originate in the pharynx, bronchial tubes, trachea and the pleura lining of the lungs. In Ayurveda, coughing is known as Kaasa roga. It is predominantly an effect of the vitiation of the vata dosha. But the pitta and the kapha doshas can also cause coughs. Based on the causative factor, there are five types of coughs vataja, pittaja, kaphaja, kshataja and kshayaja.

Symptoms of Cough:

The symptoms of a chronic cough can be hard to assess, because many causes of chronic cough have overlapping signs and symptoms. Infact, a cough is an annoying symptom that can have many causes.

However, some common cough symptoms include

1) Shortness of breath, as well as coughing up pink, frothy mucus maybe the cause is fluid retention in lungs

2) Cough produces clear pale yellow mucus due to viral infection, such as cold

3) Cough produces yellow or greenish mucus cause may be chronic bronchitis or pneumonia.

4) If cough is associated with wheezing and shortness of breath reason could be asthma.

5) Fever, chills and night sweats along with chest pain when you cough the cause may be tuberculosis

6) If lung cancer or a cancer of the air passages is present, one may cough up blood. Other symptoms that may point towards a cancer include increasing fatigue, loss of appetite, unexplained loss of weight, or decreased ability to swallow solid or liquid foods.

Causes of Cough:

Coughs caused by the common cold, or flu, generally clear up after a small number of days.

Smoking
Asthma
Allergies
COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease)

Treatment of Cough:

1) Bay Berry (Myrica nagi) The bay berry is very effective in curing throat congestions which causes the coughs.

2) Belleric Myroblan (Terminalia belerica) The fruit of the belleric myroblan has excellent curative powers in the treatment of coughs caused due to catarrh.

3) Betel (Piper betle) Betel leaves when crushed, made into paste with water and applied externally on the chest have amazing effects in the treatment of coughs.

4) Butea (Butea monosperma) Butea leaves can treat congested and inflamed throats.

5) Clove (Syzygium aromaticum) Cloves can reduce the irritation of the throat. Cloves are more effective if the coughs are produced due to inflammation of the pharynx.

6) Aniseed is another useful remedy for a hard dry cough with complex expectoration. It shatters up the mucus. A tea made from this spice should be taken habitually for treating this state.

7) Mix equal parts of ginger juice and honey and have it 2-3 times in a day which is fine for cough

Take 1 tsp of fresh radish juice and mix with an equal amount of honey and some rock salt.

9) Apple cider vinegar Sprinkle apple cider vinegar on your pillowcase before bedtime.

10) Drink hot milk with honey at bedtime for cough relief.

11) Add a gram of turmeric powder to a teaspoon of honey for curing dry cough.

12) Mix 8 - 10 tablespoon of coconut milk with 1 tablespoon poppy seed (powdered) and 1 tablespoon of pure honey. Take this every night before going to bed. This remedy is very good Home Remedy for Cough.

Sore throat is a quite common problem. One is said to suffer from sore throat when the pharynx or back of throat gets inflamed. The membrane covering the pharynx may turn red in case of sore throat. When soreness occurs, there is much irritation of throat, pain in throat. The patient may find it difficult to swallow food and the voice may turn hoarse. There may also be post-nasal drip if the inflammation extends to nasal passages. The lymph nodes may also swell and turn tender. Cough, chills, fever, headache, ear ache, stuffy or runny nose etc may accompany sore throat. The causes of this problem may be listed as follows:

1. Bacterial or viral infections as in the case of ailments like common cold and flu, influenza, tonsillitis, sinusitis, diphtheria, measles, mumps etc.
2. Breathing through mouth
3. Medications like antibiotics, immune-compromising drugs etc.
4. Chemotherapy
5. Throat cancer
6. AIDS
7. Leukemia
8. Excessive smoking
9. Talking loudly or shouting.

Home Remedies

1. Boil some basil leaves in water. Strain and drink the water and also use some of the water for gargling. This is a solution to sore throat problem.

2. Extract the fluid out of mango bark. Mix 10 ml of the fluid in 125 ml water. Gargle with the solution. This produces rewarding results.

3. Make a mixture of four cloves of garlic, one-eighth teaspoon cayenne and one tablespoon honey. Take spoonful of the mixture and chew the ingredients thoroughly to get rid of sore throat.

4. An Epsom salt bath yields good results.

5. Saline water gargling is an age-old but quite useful remedy.

6. Frequent drinking of chamomile tea soothes throat pain and irritation.

7. Add 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar, juice of one-fourth of lemon, 1 teaspoon honey and a pinch of cayenne pepper to a cup of warm water. Stir and drink up to 4 cups daily. This is an effective home remedy for sore throat.

8. Boil cinnamon powder in 1 glass water. Add a pinch of pepper powder and some honey. Stir and drink the solution. This is beneficial in treating this problem.

9. One can also take a teaspoon of cinnamon oil mixed with honey. This cures throat problems.

10. Gargling with Aloe Vera juice is a useful remedy.

11. Steep 1 cup honeysuckle flowers in a quarter of boiling water for 10 minutes. Filter, sweeten with honey and drink 4 cups every day. This solves this throat problem.

12. Chewing of garlic piece is an easy remedy.

13. Boil 1 tablespoon fenugreek seeds in water. Strain and use the water for gargling. This alleviates soreness in throat.

14. Drink red sage tea regularly. This is a useful cure.

For a variety of reasons, consumers are often disappointed by the performance of their newly acquired small space heater.

It's easy to avoid the disappointment of purchasing the wrong space heater and get the comfort you deserve if you answer the following questions before you start shopping.

How Many People Do You want to Make Comfortable?
This might sound obvious, but there is a multitude of small space heaters designed for different purposes.

If you are the only person requiring additional heat, a radiant heater will be more effective than a convection heater. Radiant heaters warm people and objects first. When you turn on a radiant heater you will feel instant, focused warmth.

A convection heater works by warming the air, which in turn eventually warms you. Most convection heaters take 20 minutes or more to heat an average sized room. However, in a room occupied by 3 or 4 people at that same time, like a family room, a convection heater provides even heat enjoyable by all.

How Much Space Are You Heating?
Since most space heaters max out at 1500 watts (5120 BTUs), they won't heat much more than 150 square feet. The results you get from any space heater will vary according to room ceiling height and the quality of a home's insulation.

A drafty room with 8 foot ceilings will not reach the same degree of comfort as a room with 7 foot ceilings in a well insulated home using the same heater.

If you're interested in heating your office cubicle or bathroom, a small ceramic heater will provide plenty of warmth. For under the desk heat, a low wattage radiant heat panel will keep your lower extremities comfortably warm.

Another interesting use for under the desk radiant heat panels is hanging them on, or near, a bird cage to keep your feathered friends warm.

Do Have Children or Pets?
Space heater safety takes on added significance when you have inquisitive toddlers and/or nosy pets running around.

15 years ago, an oil filled heater was my first choice. I never had any problems with this type of heater or how my kids interacted with it. Today you can purchase micathermic flat panel and ceramic space heaters that can be hung on the wall, away from little hands and cold noses.

Does Anyone in Your Family Have Allergies or Respiratory Problems?
If this is the case, you should be aware that fan assisted heaters tend to stir up dust and allergens. You can get around this problem by purchasing a micathermic or oil filled heater. Quartz infrared and radiant heaters without a fan will also eliminate this problem.

Space Heater Safety
Take time to read the manufacture's safety instructions. If you must use an extension cord, or your computer is plugged into the same circuit as your small space heater, use a power strip/surge protector.

Place your space heater on a level surface away from combustibles and don't use it to dry clothes. Don't leave your small space heater running if you're not at home. If you want your space heated room to be comfortable when you get home from work, buy a space heater with a programmable thermostat.

Purchase only the models with tip over (automatic off) switches and over heat protection.