What to do about a person that has Grave's disease with swollen legs?

Treatment for Graves' disease has two purposes. One is to improve the symptoms ociated with the malady and the other is to slow down the thyroid's rate of making hormones. Virtually everyone with Graves' disease should have some sort of treatment. Beta-blockers can help with slowing down a rapid heart rate, tremors and anxiousness caused by the disease. Anti-thyroid drugs such as Tapazole and Thiamazole are effective in bringing hormone levels to a more normal level. This works in most cases but sometimes radioactive iodine treatment is necessary. Given orally, the iodine basically short-circuits the thyroid and keeps it from making hormones permanently, meaning the patient will need medication from then on for their thyroid. Surgery is an option when goiter is present and very large, as people with this problem often do not respond to other treatments. Removing the thyroid altogether solves the problem, but the person will be on special medication for the rest of their lives to replace the hormones the thyroid can no longer make.