Daisy Ridley, famous for her role in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, recently revealed that she has been diagnosed with Graves’ disease, an autoimmune disease that causes the body to make too much thyroid hormone.
After filming the psychological thriller Magpie, the 32-year-old actor began to feel sick and irritable, and experienced hot flashes, fatigue, a racing heart, weight loss, and hand tremors. Initially, Ridley attributed feeling poorly to the stress caused by her role in the new film, and brushed off her symptoms.
In an interview with Women’s Health, she explained, “We all read the stats about women being undiagnosed or underdiagnosed and sort of coming to terms with saying, ‘I really, actually don’t feel good,’ and not going, ‘I’m fine, I’m fine, I’m fine, I’m fine.’ It’s just normalized to not feel good,” she said.
Keep reading for answers about what Graves’ disease is, what causes it, the most common symptoms, and treatment options.
What Is Graves’ Disease?
Graves’ disease is an autoimmune condition that may cause inflammation of the thyroid (called thyroiditis) and hyperthyroidism from overproduction of thyroid hormone, says Jennifer Braemar Ogilvie, MD, the chief of endocrine surgery at Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut.
With Graves’ disease, compounds formed by the immune system overstimulate the thyroid gland and cause it to make too much thyroid hormone, says Dr. Ogilvie.
“In some people, it may also cause inflammation of the soft tissues behind the eyes, called Graves’ ophthalmopathy [also called thyroid eye disease] which can lead to bulging of the eyes [proptosis], irritation, or visual changes,” she says.
In some cases, people can have the eye disease without the overactive thyroid part of Graves’ or vice versa, says Susan Spratt, MD, a professor of medicine at Duke University School of Medicine and an endocrinologist at Duke Health in Durham, North Carolina.
What Are the Symptoms of Graves’ Disease?
- Weight loss, despite an increase in appetite
- Rapid or irregular heartbeat
- Nervousness or irritability
- Trouble sleeping
- Fatigue
- Shaky hands or muscle weakness
- Sweating or trouble tolerating heat
- Frequent bowel movements
- Enlarged thyroid gland, called a goiter
“I always say that thyroid disease brings out underlying aspects of your personality. If you tend to be anxious, you will be more anxious. If you tend to have depression, it can affect your sleep and make you more depressed,” says Dr. Spratt.
What Are the Risk Factors for Graves’ Disease?
Graves’ disease is commonly sporadic, meaning that it occurs irregularly, but it can run in families, too, says Ogilvie. “Women who have recently given birth, smokers, and people exposed to high levels of iodine also appear to be at increased risk,” she says.
How Is Graves’ Disease Treated?
In a minority of people, Graves’ disease may go into remission on its own, says Ogilvie.
“In most cases, people are initially treated with anti-thyroid medications,” she says. These block your thyroid’s production of hormones.
Beta-blockers, which slow the heart rate and are traditionally used to treat high blood pressure, can control some of the symptoms, such as tremor, fast heart rate, and anxiety, says Spratt.
Those that do not go into remission or those that cannot take medication can be treated with radioactive iodine ablation or surgery to remove all or part of your thyroid gland, called a thyroidectomy, says Ogilvie.
In radioactive iodine ablation, people take radioactive iodine by mouth to destroy the thyroid gland’s cells, which ease the symptoms of Graves’.
What if Graves’ Disease Goes Untreated?
People can have a normal life expectancy if Graves’ is treated promptly and appropriately, says Spratt.
“But Graves’ disease can be deadly if not treated. Thyroid storm can occur and cause the body to collapse,” she says.
This complication is rare and usually occurs only when a person doesn’t know they have hyperthyroidism or it’s not well controlled and they develop an additional illness like influenza, says Spratt.
Untreated Graves’ disease can also affect people’s ability to work and function normally, says Ogilvie.
“Graves’ can lead to abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias) and loss of bone strength, or osteoporosis,” she says.
Ogilvie recommends that people with Graves’ disease seek out an endocrinologist, an expert in thyroid disease.
“See your thyroid doctor at least two to four times a year and monitor labs at least four times per year,” she says.
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