Possible Physical Causes Of Depression – Connections And Diagnosis

Pointers regarding Depression and Physical Issues

Here are some pointers regarding potential risk factors, causes, and physical ailments linked to depression.

* Increased age is a risk factor for depression.

* A stroke to one’s right brain could be a cause of depression.

* A bad knock to one’s head could lead to depressive episodes weeks or even months after the incident.

* Gastrointestinal ailments could lead to mal-absorption of certain nutrients, in turn leading to nutritional deficiencies which could cause depression.

* Depression could be linked to physical ailments such as hypothyroidism, diabetes, lupus, celiac disease, etc, and be an early sign of such health conditions.

* A condition called hyperparathyroidism also can cause one to feel depressive.

* Addison’s Disease, a condition of the adrenal glands characterized by hiccups and spontaneous tanning, is another possible physical cause of depression.

* Cushing’s syndrome, too, can lead to depression; for this ailment, the affected person has a tumor which produces steroids.

* Lupus, a very uncommon autoimmune condition characterized by achy joints, is also linked to depression.

* If one’s extremities feel weird, numb and tingly, one could be suffering bad vitamin deficiencies, or be intoxicated by certain chemicals which are damaging one’s nerves.

* Partial Complex Seizures (PCS), a type of epilepsy, has also been linked to depression.

* Wilson’s disease – its symptoms include losing coordination and experiencing tremors – can also cause mental problems.

* An iron deficiency can contribute to depression; a tell-tale sign is when the white part of one’s eyes has a bluish tint.

* Normal pressure hydrocephalus, a brain ailment, is another contributing physical condition.

* Physical conditions such as allergies, reactive hypoglycemia and pheochromocytoma (tumors which release hormones such as adrenaline into one’s brain) are also possible causes of panic attacks. Pheochromocytomas can lead to serious depression.

Conclusion

When attempting to discover if one’s depression could have an underlying physical ailment as the cause or a contributing factor, not every medical doctor will fit the bill. Baumel suggests that “biologically or medically oriented psychiatrists”, “biopsychiatrists”, or “biobehavioral medical specialists” may be some professionals you could seek out.

And he suggests a long appointment, so that a comprehensive checkup can be carried out, in a bid to uncover any possible physical ailments which could be causing one’s depressive condition.

Main Resource

Baumel, Syd. Dealing With Depression Naturally. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2000. Print.

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