Can Stress Cause Thyroid Problems?
Millions of people suffer from hyperthyroidism, or Grave's Disease. Circumstantial evidence indicates that stress may be a factor in causing or aggravating it. Universal acceptance of this link is still lacking in the medical community, but more organizations, including members of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development now state that stress can be one of the factors leading to thyroid disease.
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The Thyroid Gland
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The thyroid gland is located at the front of the neck and creates hormones that are vital to the body's energy level, temperature, weight and mood. Thyroid problems are common, especially among women and the elderly; according to the American Thyroid Association (ATA), tens of millions of people around the world suffer from some kind of thyroid disease.
Types of Thyroid Problems
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The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) divides thyroid problems into functional disorders and abnormal growths.
Hyperthyroidism is the result of the thyroid gland producing too much hormone, and is most common cause of Graves' Disease.
Hypothyroidism occurs when too little hormone is produced. In the United States, it's most often caused by a condition called Hashimoto's Thyroiditis.
The ATA defines a thyroid nodule as "any growth of thyroid cells into a lump within the thyroid." Fewer than ten percent of nodules are malignant. Thyroid cancer is generally very treatable. -
Causes of Stress
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The National Institutes of Health reports that stress can be caused by a variety of triggers. Something as simple as a poor diet can create feelings of stress, while extremely traumatic events, like a divorce or death of a loved one, can lead to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
The Stress-Thyroid Connection
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George Chrousos, M.D., Chief of the Pediatric and Reproductive Endocrinology Branch at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), and Philip Gold, MD, of the Clinical Neuroendocrinology Branch at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) have developed a theory that may explain the mechanism of stress and how it can affect health.
According to this theory, a stressful event will cause the body to go into survival mode. Hormonal systems not directly related to immediate survival are shut off, and the systems that control growth, metabolism, reproduction and immunity are all affected by this process. After the crisis ends, all body systems return to normal.
Unfortunately, the body can become "stuck" in survival mode, leading to a number of health problems, including Graves' Disease.
A 2009 study published in the European Journal of Endocrinology also draws a direct line between stress and Graves' Disease. Conversely, the ATA states that many patients with hyperthyroidism reported no extreme stress previous to their illness. But Dr. Robert J. Graves, who identified the disease, did note that his patients had stressful events in their lives before the onset of symptoms.
Considerations
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Therapies may one day be developed which will successfully block the stress/thyroid disease link. Until then, stress management should be taken seriously; it is important to have the thyroid checked regularly, especially if a patient has a family history of thyroid disease.
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