What is the Most Common Cause of Graves Disease?
Graves disease affects the thyroid gland. It occurs when the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks the thyroid gland. The cause of Graves disease is unknown, but it may be caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. (4)
Some possible causes include:
Hormonal factors
There are several contributory factors to Graves disease, including genetics and autoimmune disorders. However, one of the most important factors in the development of Graves disease is hormones. It is more common in women than men and it often occurs soon after childbirth. This suggests that hormonal factors may play a role in causing the disease.
Graves disease can result from an overactive thyroid gland. The thyroid gland is responsible for producing the hormone thyroxine, which helps to regulate the body’s metabolism. Thyroxine is produced by the thyroid in response to signals from the pituitary gland, which is located in the brain. If there is too much thyroxine in the blood, it can cause the pituitary gland to release more of its own hormone, called thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH).
Infections
Graves disease may be caused by a virus or other infection that leads to thyroiditis.Thyroiditis is an inflammation of the thyroid gland. There are many different causes of thyroiditis, including autoimmune diseases, viral infections, and radiation therapy. The most common type of thyroiditis is Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, which is an autoimmune disease. In Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, the body’s immune system attacks the thyroid gland, causing it to become inflamed.
There are certain infections that have been linked with Graves’ disease. One of these infections is Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium that can cause stomach ulcers. Studies have shown that people with Graves’ disease are more likely to be infected with H. pylori than those without the condition.
Genetics
Graves disease can run in families, so there may be a genetic component to the disease. It is more common in women than men. If one parent has Graves disease, there is a 50% chance that their child will also have the condition.
Studies have shown that there is a link between Graves disease and certain genes, including the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) gene. HLA is a gene that helps regulate the immune system. People who have certain variants of the HLA gene are more likely to develop Graves disease than those who do not have these variants.