Why so sad?
When patients visit Dr. Jennifer Caudle, an osteopathic family physician near Philadelphia, their complaints aren’t always — or even often — only physical. “I’m just not feeling myself.” “I’m irritable.” “I’m annoyed,” they frequently say. That’s when Caudle does some detective work. If she can rule out serious mental health conditions like clinical depression and verifies they’re not at risk of hurting themselves or others, there are a host of medical conditions that could be causing or contributing to their slump. “Our mood can be affected by so many things,” says Caudle, also an associate professor at the Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine. Here are some of the more serious examples:
1. A thyroid disorder
Let’s give the thyroid some credit. After all, the gland is “one of the engines of the body,” producing hormones that help to regulate everything from body temperature and weight to skin and hair health to energy level and mood, Caudle says. So understandably, “when that’s off, you’re off,” says Dr. Charles Sophy, a psychiatrist in Beverly Hills, California. For example, an overactive thyroid can make you feel on edge or jittery, while an underactive thyroid can make you feel unmotivated or depressed, although both can contribute to a low mood. A simple blood test can help identify if a thyroid problem is to blame for your distress.
2. Sleep apnea
Just ask new parents how sleep deprivation affects mood. But sleep quality — not just quantity — matters to mood too, though a lack of it is tougher to identify. “You don’t realize the toll [poor sleep] is taking on you,” Sophy says. Sleep apnea, for example, can cause your breathing to slow or stop as many as 30 times per hour during sleep. While you don’t fully wake up and may think you’re sleeping soundly, your mood during the day can take a nosedive. To diagnose sleep apnea, which is common and treatable, doctors may take a medical history, perform a physical exam or recommend a sleep study.
3. Stroke
A droopy face, sagging arm or slurred speech are all well-publicized symptoms of stroke. But the aftermath of the condition — as with any that occurs in the brain — can impact something less known: mood. If the stroke is in the brain’s right frontal lobe, for example, you may feel “inappropriately euphoric,” while those in the left hemisphere may make you feel sad and anxious, says Dr. Kenneth Heilman, a fellow of the American Academy of Neurology. “There is much evidence that emotions and moods are controlled by parts of the brain called the limbic system,” he says. If you’ve had a stroke and are feeling uncharacteristically down, talk to your doctor about treatments.
4. Parkinson’s disease
Like stroke, the better known symptoms of Parkinson’s are physical: hand tremors, slow movements, stiff limbs and balance problems. But because the neurodegenerative disorder involves a reduction of mood-regulating brain chemicals, it’s not surprising Parkinson’s can dampen mood, too, Heilman says. In fact, 40 to 50 percent of Parkinson’s patients develop depression, he says. While there is no cure for Parkinson’s disease, treatments including medications, behavioral therapy and lifestyle changes can help manage symptoms — low mood included.
5. Premenstrual dysphoric disorder
There’s premenstrual syndrome, or PMS, and then PMDD, which stands for premenstrual dysphoric disorder. The latter is a severe form of the former, and can make women feel so sad and irritable (as well as bloated and pained) in the week or so before their periods that they have trouble going about their daily lives, according to the National Institutes of Health. “It’s very common for women to have mood changes and mood swings” linked to their menstrual cycle, Caudle says, but talk to your doctor if it’s severe. Birth control pills, antidepressants, painkillers and lifestyle modifications — think exercising more and limiting difficult meetings during that time of the month — can help.
6. Allergies
You’d think you’d know if you have an allergy, but Sophy often discovers patients are allergic to something in their environment (think pollen) or diet (gluten is a common culprit) when he sends for blood work. An environmental trigger can take a toll on mood if, for example, it’s causing sleep disruptions due to postnasal drip or congestion, Sophy says. Gluten allergies or sensitivities, meanwhile, have been linked to depressive symptoms that subside on a gluten-free diet, some research finds. And any allergy that’s not well-managed can tax your immune system, Sophy says, which can cause lethargy, frequent sickness and other happiness killers.
7. Vitamin deficiency
One of Caudle’s patients who had undergone gastric bypass surgery noticed her depressed mood even more than her dropping pants size. The culprit? Deficiencies in some vitamins, since her body wasn’t absorbing them the same way. But after correcting them with supplementation, “she looked like the person I knew before,” Caudle says. Blood work can determine if your melancholy is vitamin-related too; vitamin D and vitamin B12 deficiencies are common culprits. Eating a balanced diet low in processed foods and sugars is a mood stabilizer too, experts emphasize. “Not only do our bodies [suffer] when we haven’t eaten properly, our brains do too,” Caudle says.
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7 Reasons You’re in a Bad Mood That Can Actually Be Serious originally appeared on usnews.com
