Graves’ disease

CHAPTER 8 Graves’ disease



Graves’ disease occurs when the thyroid produces and secretes more than the normal volume of thyroid hormone into the bloodstream. The cause is an overactive immune response and the result is hyperthyroidism.





3 Chinese medical aetiology and pathology


Chinese medical theory does not specifically name hyperthyroidism. However, the symptoms of enlarged thyroid, fatigue, weight loss, tachycardia, muscle weakness, heat intolerance, tremors, palpitations, sweating, blurred or double vision, restless sleep, decrease in menstrual flow and increased frequency of bowel movements seem to be described by such diagnoses as Ying Liu image, goitre, Xin Ji image, palpitations, Shi Mian image, insomnia, and Jiao Lu image, anxiety.


The symptoms of Graves’ disease mirror those seen in Liver Fire rising. In Five Elements theory, the Liver belongs to Wood. If Wood (mother) affects Fire (son), and therefore the Heart, we call this ‘diseased mother transferring illness to the son’. This causes palpitations, insomnia and nightmares; Fire singes the Blood and forms Blood stasis. The Wood Fire descends to singe water, leading to Kidney Yin deficiency. In Chinese medical theory, the Liver and Kidney come from the same source. Therefore, when Liver Fire affects the Kidney, it damages not only Kidney Yin but also Liver Yin. When this occurs, it causes thirst, dark and yellow urination that is of low volume, anxiety and reduced volume and period of menstruation. Liver Fire can also travel through the Liver channel and ascend to the Upper Jiao, burning Lung Yin. Should this occur, it can cause hypochondriac pain, irritability, cough with dyspnoea and haemoptysis. This is called ‘Wood Fire impairs Metal’. When Liver Fire affects the Spleen, it causes an increase in the speed of transportation, distribution and transformation, resulting in polyorexia (bulimia) and emaciation. Therefore, as described in ‘The 77th Problem’, a chapter in Nan Jing/The Classic on Medical Problems, ‘When Liver disease occurs it will spread to the Spleen, so the Qi of the Spleen should be reinforced before it is affected’. However, Liver Fire can affect different organs and cause different symptoms and signs.


Generally speaking, Chinese medicine thinks the disease has three causes:






4 General treatment principle


The primary treatment is to eliminate pathogenic heat from the Liver, clean Heat-Toxin, promote the flow of Qi and remove Blood stasis.




Differentiation and treatment









Jan 19, 2017 | Posted by in MUSCULOSKELETAL MEDICINE | Comments Off on Graves’ disease

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