Missy Elliott Diagnosis Of Graves' Disease: What You Should Know
Hip-hop singer and songwriter Missy Elliott unveiled this week in People magazine that she has Graves' disease, and boy does it make it sound scary. She said she was diagnosed in 2008 after she was shaking so bad in his arms and legs she nearly crashed her car and could not write. She also had dizziness, mood swings, hair loss, rapid heartbeat, and external warning signs: bulging eyes.
Graves' disease is an autoimmune condition where the thyroid gland to stimulate the immune cells churn out too much thyroid hormone. This puts the body into overdrive to cause palpitations, motor symptoms, and extreme weight loss.
Although it is not exactly known why some people develop Graves' disease, experts say, heredity, gender, age and stress can play a role. It usually occurs in less than 40 years and five to 10 times more common in women than in men, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
Graves, who also hit the first lady Barbara Bush, has a relatively simple treatment - a radiation treatment, taken by mouth. It has a permanent side effect: Almost everyone receives the treatment that continues to develop an underactive thyroid, which forces them to take thyroid hormone pills for the rest of their lives.
Surgery to remove the thyroid is used only in rare cases, if such a woman is pregnant and can not resume radiation treatment because of the risk to the fetus. It involves the complete removal of the thyroid and also requires the procedure of thryoid hormone NEXT.
Elliott told People magazine that she still has a thyroid function and do not need to take thyroid pills for several months. Yet she said she takes it easy, more exercise and live a quieter life, which is why it has not been on tour over the last three years.
"You live with him for the rest of his life," said the winner at the Grammy Awards.
