Final answer:
Patients experiencing Graves' disease typically display symptoms of hyperthyroidism such as heat intolerance, rapid and irregular heartbeat, weight loss, and goiter, as well as distinctive bulging eyes known as exophthalmia.
Step-by-step explanation:
A patient with Graves' disease, which is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism, would present with a variety of symptoms. These include heat intolerance, a rapid and irregular heartbeat, weight loss even when the appetite is increased, and the physical presence of a goiter, which is an enlarged thyroid gland visible as swelling in the neck. Another distinctive sign is exophthalmos, which manifests as bulging eyes. Other symptoms such as excessive sweating, diarrhea, muscle weakness, and sleeping difficulties like insomnia can also be observed in patients with hyperthyroidism.
Diagnosis can sometimes be complicated due to the variety of symptoms which can also indicate other health issues. Treatment options may include medications to control the symptoms and inhibit the production of thyroid hormones. Severe cases may require surgical intervention or the administration of radioactive iodine to remove part or all of the thyroid gland, which will result in hypothyroidism requiring further treatment to manage hormone levels.