What Does the Thyroid Do?
Makes Thyroid Hormones
- T4 (L-thyroxine) - contains 4 iodine atoms; made in thyroid gland
- T3 (triiodothyronine) - contains 3 iodine atoms; made from T4 mostly (80%) in peripheral tissues, the rest (20%) in the thyroid gland
From Burnout to Balance
T4 is secreted in response to TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone), produced by the pituitary gland
- Function of T3/T4 - control rate at which sugar (glucose) is burned to create energy and heat (metabolic rate)
- T3 is 4-5X more active than T4
Tips for Managing Stress
What Are Some Naturopathic Approaches to Managing Stress?
Homeopathy
Is Stress Affecting Your Health?
Lifestyle
- Symptom- specific
- Aconite, Gelsemium, Phosphoricum acidum
- Thyroid support - Thyroidinum
- Exercise, meditation, breathing techniques, adequate rest, counseling
Acupuncture
- Feeling overwhelmed by life’s tasks
- Fatigue (often with caffeine dependence)
- Disturbed sleep
- Unexplained anxiety and/or depression
- Inability to relax without drugs or alcohol
- Low sex drive
- Poor temperature regulation
How Does Stress Affect the Thyroid?
Autoimmune Thyroiditis
How Are Hormones Involved in the Stress Response?
- Balances flow of energy or "Qi"
- Balances Kidney energy
- reduced cortisol and DHEA have been linked to increased risk of autoimmune conditions, like thyroiditis (Hashimoto's and Graves')
Hormones
- Produced by endocrine glands
- Travel in the blood
- Co-ordinate gland and organ function in response to environmental changes
- Disrupted by stress - 2 of the main hormones altered by stress: Cortisol and DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone)
- Hashimoto's thyroiditis is a common cause of underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism), when the thyroid can't make enough T4 hormone
What Can Stress Do To Your Health?
What Are Some Considerations When Managing Stress?
Address Associated Health Issues
- Low thyroid function (e.g. Wilson’s Temperature Syndrome)
- Diabetes, dysglycemia
- Cardiovascular issues
- Heavy metal toxicity
- Digestive disturbances and food intolerance
- Candidiasis, parasitosis
- High blood pressure or low blood pressure
- Lowered immune system function
- Infertility (male and female)
- Premature or difficult menopause/andropause
- Chronic diseases (allergies, arthritis, asthma, diabetes, IBS, etc.)
- Thyroid imbalance
Steroid Hormone Cascade
How Does Stress Affect the Thyroid?
Each person is an individual
Wilson's Temperature Syndrome (WTS)
Natural remedies can work for treatment and prevention
- Discovered by Dr. Denis Wilson in the late 1980s
- Most prevalent in women (80%) and people of Irish or First Nations descent
- Condition of poor thyroid system function characterized by: a persistent, maladaptive, stress-related, reversible impairment in the conversion of T4 to T3
How Does the Body React to Stress?
- high cortisol from stress blocks T4 to T3 conversion
- leads to a build-up of inactive reverse T3
Take-home Message
The body has 3 stages of the stress response
Homeostasis - maintaining a stable internal environment
- Nervous system
- Endocrine (hormonal) system
- Short-term (“alarm” stage)
- Long-term (“resistance” stage)
- Exhaustion
How is Cortisol Involved?
What Are Some Naturopathic Approaches to Managing Stress?
By supporting the individual’s ability to manage life’s stresses, Naturopathic Medicine can help you on the road to optimal health!
Nutrition
- Produced by the cortex regions of the adrenal glands
- Elevated under conditions of long-term stress
- Increases blood sugar - risk of diabetes, hardening of arteries (high blood pressure, heart disease)
- Suppresses immune system - recurrent and chronic infections
- Adrenal gland “burn-out” - fatigue, light-headedness, low blood pressure, poor memory/concentration
- Avoidance of caffeine, sugar, refined carbs
- Regular, small meals
- Vitamins A (fish liver oils), C (berries, citrus, veggies), E, B5, B6, PABA (nuts, beans, meats, veggies)
- Minerals - zinc, manganese, magnesium (sea veggies, nuts, seeds)
How is WTS Diagnosed?
NOT BY BLOOD TESTS!!
- Thyroid Support - iodine (kelp), selenium, tyrosine
- TSH, T3, T4 are usually within normal range
Body Temperature
How Does the Stress Response Affect the Body?
- Taken 3 times per day, 3 hours apart
- Average temp. is 1°F or more below 98.6°F (37.0°C)
Short-term Stress Response (“Fight or Flight”, “Alarm” Stage)
How is DHEA Involved?
Symptoms and Signs
What Are Some Naturopathic Approaches to Managing Stress?
- Increased heart-rate, blood pressure
- Increased blood sugar
- Increased alertness
- Decreased digestive and urinary tract activity
Herbal Medicine
- Fatigue, weight gain, dry skin, thinning hair, brittle nails, poor memory, constipation, low libido, menstrual irregularities, puffiness under eyes, thinning eyebrows (outer 1/3), delayed Achilles reflex return, high cholesterol
Long-term Stress Response ("Resistance" Stage)
- “Adaptogens” - Siberian Ginseng, Ashwagandha, Rhodiola, Tulsi, Maca
- “Nervines” - Oat Straw, Scullcap, Passionflower
- Produced by the cortex regions of the adrenal glands
- Converted to testosterone and estrogens
- Lowered under conditions of long-term stress
- Impaired immune system function - recurrent and chronic infections, autoimmune diseases, allergies, cancer
- Lowered sex drive
- Infertility
- Early menopause/andropause
Associated Conditions
- Increased blood pressure
- Increased blood sugar
- Breakdown of proteins and fats
- Immune system imbalance
contact@nardininaturopathic.com
www.nardininaturopathic.com
- Depression, Fibrocystic Breast Disease, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
Rule out
http://prezi.com/b3sy8n7xp90_
- Thryoid Support - Kelp, Guggul, Blue Flag
- Candida, parasites, heavy metal toxicity