Thyroid disorders have become extremely common nowadays. Apart from genetic predisposition, there are a lot of other external factors that increase the risk of thyroid diseases, one of them being stress. Chronic stress has been shown to affect the thyroid gland in some studies.
When we are stressed, there is an increase in the hormone cortisol in our body, and adrenaline also increases. These hormones can cause both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism. Hypothyroidism is when our body produces less thyroid hormone than is required for the normal functioning of our body. It is a very common disorder affecting 10 percent of the population, that is, one in ten people suffer from it. Stress can worsen or contribute to hypothyroidism by decreasing the release of thyroid-stimulating hormone and decreasing the production of T4, which is the active thyroid hormone.
