ON GOING NONSTOPPING STRESS=THYROID DISASTER

Stress and the Thyroid

As if you needed another reason to avoid chronic stress, the health of your thyroid also depends on it! Stress is one of the environmental factors associated with the onset of autoimmune disesase Hashimoto’s because chronic stress contributes to leaky gut and causes chronic inflammation. Stress can also tie into to several of the other risk factors for thyroid disorders, including metabolic problems and blood sugar disregulation. It seriously damages your gut flora, and interferes with proper function of the adrenal glands, causing problems for two organs responsible for regulating the thyroid: the hypothalamus and the pituitary. As if all of that weren’t enough, the chronic inflammation and hormone imbalances that accompany high stress levels interfere with the uptake of thyroid hormone and the conversion of killer T4 cells to T3.
Of course, “don’t be stressed” is much easier said than done, but the potential thyroid problems should only add to the list of reasons to turn off the TV and get to bed early, or take a day off once in a while to just relax and appreciate a long walk in the park and a good book. Even with shelves full of pills, powders, and supplements at your disposal and a thousand blogs full of new diet plans and nutrient-packed recipes, sometimes the best thing you can do for your health is to unplug and take a break.

What are Triggers of Autoimmune Disease?

There are many potential triggers mediating the autoimmune response in Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and autoimmune disorders in general. Many of these factors work in concert to mediate an autoimmune response. These include chemical triggers from the environment, nutritional deficiencies, imbalances in the gastrointestinal (GI) flora, food sensitivities, especially gluten, and chronic or severe stress. Although our environment is contaminated with so many chemicals, it is important to remember that for most people, when the body is well nourished and in balance it can process and eliminate these exposures so they do not cause harm. A few examples of common chemical autoimmune triggers are: 1)teflon, 2)mercury, found in dental amalgams, soil, vaccines and large predator fish, 3)chemicals like polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs)--flame-retardant chemicals found on chairs, mattresses, pillows, and furniture parts, 4)pesticides, insecticides, and atrazine used on crops, lawns, and fruits, 5)dioxin, a chemical found in prepackaged foods and in seafood, meats, and dairy, and 6) plastic additives like BPA and PCB’s (chemicals found in many building materials) that mimic estrogen in the body and can cause hormonal imbalances in addition to suppressing the immune system.

How Does Stress Affect Autoimmune Disease

It is important to understand the impact emotional and physiological stress can have on the body, and how it can trigger or mediate an autoimmune disease. Our lives are full of stressful situations, obligations, relationships, events, and traumas. When the body is under emotional or physical stress, the hypothalamus sends a signal to the pituitary gland, located in the brain, which then sends a message to the adrenal glands to release cortisol, our “fight or flight” hormone. In acute stress this is essential for survival. However, when there is continual stress on the body the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and adrenal glands are unable to turn off, causing continual cortisol to be released into the body. Cortisol is an important chemical in directing the activity and responsiveness of the immune system. The immune cells respond quickly to cortisol which is essential in an acute illness or event. Unfortunately, when cortisol is released into the body repeatedly the immune cells get worn out and confused as to where they are needed. The immune cells respond more slowly to new stressors, making people susceptible to repeated illness. Immune dysfunction from prolonged cortisol release is a significant factor in triggering an autoimmune response. Autoantibodies are present in people with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. The daily stress our bodies endure can adversely affect our cortisol levels, which over time can lead to immune dysfunction and trigger our immune systems to attack susceptible tissues like the thyroid gland. No amount of Levothyroxine will reverse this process.

No one has yet pinpointed the exact causes of Hashimoto’s, but research has shed some light on contributing and possibly causative factors. The available research points to a combination of genetics and environmental triggers as co-factors. Both Hashimoto’s and Grave’s Disease — autoimmune hyperthyroidism — cluster in families with a history of autoimmune disorders, and several different genes have been identified that confer susceptibility to both (Chistiakov et al, 2005). But genetically susceptible people also require one or more environmental triggers to initiate the disease process. And as Edward Bauman, Ph.D. (in Shomon, N.D.) explains, it is most likely a variety of factors, not just one, that contributes to the onset of hypothyroidism. Some of the possible triggers are:

• Viral, bacterial or Candida infections as a trigger or as a direct cause;
• Ongoing stress, sufficient to cause adrenal insufficiency that hampers conversion of T4 to T3 and weakens the body’s immune defenses;
• Pregnancy, which up-regulates the immune system;
• Trauma, such as surgery or an accident;
• Nutrient deficiencies, in particular of iodine and/or selenium; and 
• Food borne bacteria