Your thyroid gland, located in the back of your neck, is responsible for producing your hormones. Graves disease, a common immune system disorder, causes an overproduction of your thyroid hormones. An overproduction of thyroid hormones is called hyperthyroidism. The cause of Graves disease is a malfunctioning of your body’s immune system. It is supposed to fight diseases by targeting foreign substances, bacteria and viruses, but it does not do that. For some reason, that many medical professionals do not understand, your body produces antibodies to part of your thyroid gland cells.Typically, your thyroid regulates your hormones by releasing your pituitary gland located in the base of your brain. However, the antibody associated with the disease, called thyrotropin receptor antibody, acts like a pituitary hormone. It overrides your normal thyroid regulation. This is what causes your thyroid hormone to overproduce. In addition, Graves’ disease causes a buildup of specific carbohydrates in your eyes’ tissues and muscles. It is not know why this happens.
