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Stress is something that we all suffer from. Sometimes we know our body is under stress, but other times, we don’t even realize it!
Let’s talk about what happens when the body is under stress, how that can trigger symptoms of hypothyroidism, and what you can do about it.
There’s a small organ in the brain called the hypothalamus that kind of serves as your master computer. It signals lots of different things throughout the entire body.
One of the main things that it does in relation to the thyroid is signal TSH - thyroid-stimulating hormone. TSH tells the thyroid to make more thyroid hormones. When it does this, about 80% of the hormones it makes are T4, which is the
inactive thyroid hormone. The other 20% is T3, which is our active thyroid hormone.
The body then needs to convert all of that excess inactive T4 into T3 so it can be used to support things like your metabolism.
The body responds to stress by releasing cortisol from the adrenal glands, which sit just above the kidneys. This is your fight-or-flight response. It’s completely normal (and good!) for your body to release cortisol when it’s under acute stress.
Where it becomes a problem is when your body is in a constant state of chronic stress and that cortisol is being released way too frequently.
Chronic stress causes a lot of issues in the body. One thing it does is that excess cortisol targets T3, our active thyroid hormone, and reverts in back into something called Reverse T3. Remember, T3 is the hormone that the body actually uses. It’s also the hormone that is in a lower supply but higher demand. Our body can’t use Reverse T3 in the same way, as it’s a very inactive hormone, so this is a big problem when it’s happening on a consistent basis.
Over time, this will lead to an increase in
hypothyroid symptoms. Things like weight gain, brain fog, hair loss, anxiety and depression, all of these symptoms can flare up dramatically when you’re under a lot of stress.
Of course, it’s things like stress at work, stress at home with your family or other relationships, stress when we’re going through a global pandemic…
But stressors can also come from
constantly eating food that’s bad for you, hidden
gut infections like parasites or bacteria overgrowth,
metal toxicity,
mineral imbalances, doing long bouts of high-intensity cardio
exercise,
environmental toxins, and more.
No matter what the stressor or stressors are, if your body is constantly in this fight or flight mode, the adrenals will continue to release that cortisol, which will continue to turn T3 into Reverse T3, and your symptoms of hypothyroidism will get worse.
As much as you can, you have to address the stressor. That could mean eating a cleaner diet, exercising in a thyroid-friendly way, or detoxing your beauty and household products.
If it’s a bigger stressor like your job or home life, then you should think about building a stress-reducing routine. This could be going for more walks, taking time for yourself, reading more, finding time to meditate, or whatever works for you to get your heart rate down and slow your breathing.
It’s also important to actually get your Reverse T3 checked so you can understand exactly how elevated it is. You can get this checked by asking your doctor for a
full thyroid panel.
If you have any questions or want help managing your hypothyroid symptoms, please
reach out to me. I’d love to help.
Phone: (314) 226-3137