Mayo Clinic Health Manager

Get free personalized health guidance for you and your family.

Get Started

Free

E-Newsletter

Subscribe to receive the latest updates on health topics. About our newsletters

  • Housecall
  • Alzheimer's caregiving
  • Living with cancer

Coping and support

By Mayo Clinic staff

If you have Graves' disease, make your mental and physical well-being a priority. Eating well and exercising can enhance the improvement in some symptoms while being treated and help you feel better in general. For example, because your thyroid controls your metabolism, you may have a tendency to gain weight when the hyperthyroidism corrects. Brittle bones can also occur with Graves' disease and weight-bearing exercises can help maintain bone density.

Try to ease stress as much as you can, as stress possibly contributes to the development of Graves' disease. Listening to music, taking a warm bath or walking can help relax you and put you in a better frame of mind. Partner with your doctor to construct a plan that incorporates good nutrition, exercise and relaxation into your daily routine.

References
  1. Graves' disease. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. http://www.endocrine.niddk.nih.gov/pubs/graves/Graves.pdf. Accessed April 23, 2009.
  2. Hyperthyroidism. American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists. http://www.aace.com/pub/thyroidbrochures/pdfs/Hyperthyroidism.pdf. Accessed April 23, 2009.
  3. Nyirenda MJ, et al. Thyroid-stimulating hormone-receptor antibody and thyroid hormone concentrations in smokers vs. nonsmokers with Graves' disease treated with carbimazole. Journal of the American Medical Association. 2009;301:162.
  4. Cawood TJ, et al. Smoking and thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy: A novel explanation of the biological link. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. 2007;92:59.
  5. Davies TF. Pathogenesis of Graves' disease. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed April 27, 2009.
  6. Brent GA. Graves' disease. New England Journal of Medicine. 2008;358:2594.
  7. Rubin DI. Neurologic manifestations of hyperthyroidism and Graves' disease. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed April 27, 2009.
  8. Davies TF. Treatment of Graves' ophthalmopathy (orbitopathy). http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed April 27, 2009.
  9. Nippoldt TB (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. May 13, 2009.
  10. Propylthiouracil-induced liver failure. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Accessed June 17, 2009.

DS00181

July 7, 2009

© 1998-2009 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). All rights reserved. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. "Mayo," "Mayo Clinic," "MayoClinic.com," "EmbodyHealth," "Reliable tools for healthier lives," "Enhance your life," and the triple-shield Mayo Clinic logo are trademarks of Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.

Print Share Reprints

Text Size: smaller largerlarger