3 Ways That STRESS affects the THYROID
на канале: Integrated Health Systems Denver - Denver Chiropractic Neurology
3 Ways That STRESS affects the THYROID
The thyroid is a butterfly shaped gland in the neck that has an impact on every cell in the body. The main hormone produced by the thyroid is T4 which is then converted to T3. T3 has a major role in energy production, metabolism and even neurological function. Certain factors and conditions will alter thyroid function such as stress. Stress is an unavoidable part of life and can impact many different areas of our health. The following are 3 ways that stress affects thyroid function.
The thyroid gets its stimulation from the pituitary gland in the form of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). This is the most commonly measured thyroid marker. Often, the TSH is evaluated looking for hyper or hypo thyroid. Stress affects the pituitary causing low output of the TSH and potentially a low output of T4. A person can have symptoms of low thyroid however, it’s secondary to the pituitary.
The second area that if affected by stress is the conversion of T4 to T3. An enzyme called 5’ deiodinase is the enzyme that promotes thyroid conversion. 5’ deiodinase can be decrease by the influence of stress.
Finally, every cell has a receptor for T3. This is the process that T3 is able to get inside the cell. Stress will alter the receptor site for T3 not allowing the hormones to enter the cell appropriately. This can lead to symptoms similar to hypothyroid.
Stress has an influence on 3 major areas of thyroid function. All which can happen at the same time. Many people are told that their thyroid is the cause of hypothyroid symptoms when it is actually related to stress and the negative impact that it has on thyroid physiology. Running blood work is a great way to look at thyroid physiology and identify areas that need to be addressed.
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