Hypothyroidism and Stress: A Review Article

The review article from 2020 discussed the connection between increased stress in modern life and the development of hypothyroidism, a common endocrine disorder. It highlighted that while ancient Samhitas do not directly mention hypothyroidism, the condition is believed to be influenced by stress affecting the hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid axis. The conventional treatment for hypothyroidism is levothyroxine, which can have side effects such as increased hunger, muscle weakness, irregular periods, diarrhea, excessive sweating, fever, and hair loss. The article also mentioned that Ayurvedic practices, although not directly referencing hypothyroidism treatment, could manage the condition through stress-relieving and balancing therapies like shirodhara and abhyanga, as well as medhya rasayana. Additionally, laughter therapy and yoga were noted for their stress-reducing benefits. The study synthesized information from various Ayurvedic texts, PubMed, Google Scholar, and modern literature to present the data in a scientific manner, aiming to improve understanding of hypothyroidism's pathogenesis and treatment approaches.