Stress and hypothyroidism

Stress is part of everyone's life every day. From getting kids ready for school to fighting traffic to the demands of work, the average person goes up against the nemesis called Stress multiple times daily. Even times meant for relaxation such as vacations or quiet times can generate many levels of stress as the body actively works to unwind. From waking up to sleeping our bodies are in a constant battle to maintain the balance and order needed for good health.

With a person affected by hypothyroidism, stress can aggravate the symptoms of hypothyroidism. When a person is undergoing stressful events - even "everyday" stress - the body produces a chemical called cortisol. Cortisol is one of two main hormones produced by the adrenal glands and it is necessary and beneficial to the body to handle long-term stress. However, when a person consistently and continually undergoes stressful events the affects of stress on the body begin to show on the way the body works together.

The endocrine system is a system that works on body harmony to defend the body against stress. This system is comprised of the following glands: the hypothalamus, pineal and pituitary glands (all located in the brain), the thyroid and parathyroid glands located in the neck region, the adrenal glands located above the kidneys, and the reproductive glands which include ovaries in women and testes in men. When one part of this system is affected then like a row of dominoes other parts of the system begin to fail in picking up the slack and meeting the needs of the endocrine system- this imbalance in the endocrine system produces the symptoms of and onset illness/disease. At this stage, stress is the victor and we are its victim.

While this seems to be doomsday awareness, knowing that stress affects our body on more than a surface level helps us to realize that we all need to actively reduce the affects of stress in our lives. Our body requires that we manage our stress well in order for the body to function well.

Because stress affects each of us in various ways and some people have a greater tolerance for stress without inviting complications within the body it is almost impossible to confirm through testing the connection between stress and hypothyroidism. Having said that - there has been multiple studies completed that show a correlation between low thyroid function and low adrenal function. This is the domino-effect in play. Often when a person has low thyroid function they will also have low adrenal function; but not realize this.

The symptoms of low thyroid (hypothyroidism) and low adrenal are in many ways mirror images of each other. Low adrenal function is characterized by feeling week, lacking desire for sex, having dark circles under the eyes, experiencing joint or muscle aches/pains, being affected by low blood sugar, have select food cravings or cravings for salt, experiencing poor sleep, dry skin, discoloration and lines in fingernail pigment, showing marked difficulty in recovering from common colds or temporal situations like jet lag, having lowered immunity to illness, affected by depression and showing signs of premature aging.

Because the thyroid glands and adrenal glands are in the same system, the functions of these glands overlap as do the results of deficiencies within these glands. This relationship and dependency on one gland to another can cause complications in treating hypothyroidism. For example, if a person is affected by hypothyroidism but also has low adrenal function - they may take thyroid replacement hormones with no results or results that are not as anticipated or desired. Instead of immediately changing a thyroid medication plan, the function of the adrenal gland should be tested and if needed, adrenal hormones administered accordingly and in conjunction with the thyroid replacement hormone.

The goal for treating hypothyroidism by fighting stress is to always work to get the body back in balance and in proper working order - whatever it takes. If this takes lifestyle changes to reduce stressors that are causing physical, emotional, or psychological problems in one's life - then that must be done. The life that each of us have is our life, our one chance at utilizing the unique talents, gifts and abilities that we each possess. It is up to each of us to ensure that we are managing our lives in such a way that we are not letting life control us but that we are letting ourselves be masters of what we do, what we eat, what we drink and what consumes our day. While the excuses are many and varied they all boil down to the idea of "I can't afford to ___________" (insert the change need to reduce the stress one is facing). Those of us wanting to improve our health and be champions over the symptoms of thyroid disease know that we can't afford NOT to do whatever it takes to ensure our good health and well-being.

~from someone that knows~
:) Flabuless