5 ways stress can make thyroid problems worse
Emotional stress is what everyone thinks of when “stress” is mentioned, but stress comes in many different ways. It can be due to excessive exercise, lack of sleep, a fight with a boyfriend, or consuming too many sweets. The adrenal glands do not differentiate between any of these stressors. Whether it’s binge drinking or a final exam, adrenal acorns react the same way, calling on the adrenal acorns to secrete hormones.
Our adrenal glands actually secrete almost 50 hormones, but we are more interested in hormones called adrenaline, DHEA, and cortisol. These hormones work to keep our body’s reaction to stress in check by anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effect. These adrenal hormones work when there is swelling and inflammation, the threat of physical or mental danger, infection, and in response to the presence of an autoimmune disease. But the adrenal glands have their limits. They become depleted and produce fewer and fewer hormones, as the body repeatedly requests them to help deal with chronic problems such as thyroid conditions.
When the adrenal glands can’t keep up, the effects can be far-reaching. Some symptoms and signs of adrenal fatigue are:
• Allergies
• asthma
• Anxiety
• Autoimmune disorders
• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
• Cravings for sweet or salty foods
• Recurring coughs, colds, flu
• Tired
• Confusion, poor memory
• Hypoglycemia
• Insomnia
• Low sexual desire
• Blurry vision
• Headaches
• Dependence on coffee or energy drinks
• Feeling bloated
• Trouble falling asleep or staying asleep
• Dizziness (positional: going from sitting to standing or lying down to sitting)
• Weight gain
Thyroid function it is intimately linked to our adrenal health. Part of any thyroid treatment plan should include supporting the adrenal gland for the following 5 reasons:
- Adrenal fatigue causes the thyroid receptors in cells to lose their sensitivity to thyroid hormones.
- Adrenal fatigue can decrease the conversion of thyroid hormones T4 to T3
- Adrenal fatigue weakens immune system barriers in the intestines, lungs, and blood-brain barrier
- Adrenal fatigue inhibits the absorption of thyroid hormone into cells
- Adrenal fatigue disrupts the exchange between the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland with the thyroid gland.
What can you do to relieve adrenal fatigue?
Here are some tips that can help you avoid or help with adrenal fatigue. Start by better controlling your blood sugar levels by:
- Have a high-protein breakfast one hour after waking up.
- Avoid caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, and energy drinks.
- Keep low-glycemic snacks nearby. We recommend yogurt, nuts, raw vegetables, olives, pickles, and hard-boiled eggs. Eat something every 2-3 hours, hungry or not.
- Avoid sweets
- Eat a diet free of food allergens
Exercise and the adrenal glands
Our adrenal acorns need the right kind of exercise. It is essential to reduce high levels of cortisol. Sports that require short, repeated bursts of energy, such as weight lifting, burn sugar and can actually further stress the adrenal glands.
The type of exercise that burns fat is called aerobic exercise. Examples of aerobic exercise are walking, long slow runs, rowing, and non-competitive cycling. Burning fat with these exercises can lower cortisol levels.
The health of the adrenal glands is of vital importance in any thyroid treatment plan. The adrenal gland evaluation is part of a functional medicine thyroid evaluation.