The CAUSE of your Hashimoto's matters because it directs treatment and, if you catch it early enough, you may be able to prevent further disease progression. What causes or triggers Hashimoto's? #1. Stress-related Hashimoto’s. Any sort of stress can trigger Hashimoto's. This includes things like divorce, starting college, death of a loved one, and so on. Stress-related Hashimoto's is typically very hard to treat. #2. Infection-related Hashimoto’s. This is most commonly caused by the EBV virus bu