grneyeladydi
I was reading this post and I remembered that I read somewhere that someone that has autoimmune disease in there family may be prone to other autoimmune diseases. I finally found what I read and will post it below. I actually found this on the Graves’ Disease Foundation.
Although Graves’ disease most frequently occurs in women in the middle decades (8:1 more than men), it also occurs in children and in the elderly. There are several elements contributing to the development of Graves’ disease. There is a genetic predisposition to autoimmune disorders. Infections and stress play a part. Graves’ disease may have its onset after an external stressor In other instances, it may follow a viral infection or pregnancy. Many times the exact cause of Graves’ disease is simply not known. It is not contagious, although it has been known to occur coincidentially between husbands and wives. Of research importance, the Graves’ gene in DNA has not yet been identified.
I am a person that has had previous autoimmune diseases and I for one think this played a huge part on my getting Graves. In 1984 I was diagnosed with Interstitial Cystist which is an autoimmune disease affecting the bladder. After treating this for 13 years I finally went into remission. Unfortunetly I recently found out that it’s back in full force. I know that stress can make these types of diseases rear their ugly heads. From all the stress I’ve endured with trying to treat Graves has made my other disease come out of remission. I strongly feel that any family that has had autoimmune diseases should be more careful of getting any of these types of diseases. They should try to watch their stress levels (which I know isn’t easy). I hope this helps some.