DEPRESSION ASSOCIATED HEALTH CONSEQUENCES

WHAT IS DEPRESSION?

The prevalence of depression is increasing in the world. Depression is a serious, complex medical illness which not only affects emotions and mental health of a person but also has great physiological impact on person’s physical health which means in beginning its slow down mental and physical processing and can ultimately lead to PARALYSIS. So, we can say that depression has not only psychological consequences but also has physiological consequences on body. Patients with chronic illness (arthritis, cancer, psoriasis, diabetes, heart disease, thyroid, deficiency of vitamins, infertility, paralysis and multiple sclerosis) dysfunction quality of life because of both illness and depression.

SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION

A depressed person face the following symptoms,
Poor concentration or difficulty in making decisions
Low energy and feeling of exhausting or lethargy
Feeling of hopeless about future
Having low self-esteem
Feeling of helpless or worthless
Disrupted sleep pattern
Feeling of sadness
Change in appetite or weight
Loss of pleasure or interest in previously enjoyable activities
Repeated thoughts of death or suicide

HOW DEPRESSION CAN BE DIFFERENTIATED WITH NATURAL SADNESS OR GRIEF?

If symptoms persist for at least 2 or more weeks with a change in past level of functioning is considered to be important for diagnosis of depression.

FACTORS RESPONSIBLE FOR DEPRESSION

There are many factors which contributes in prognosis of depression,

AIR POLLUTION

In recent study, it is found that elder people are more prone to get depression if they are living in air polluted environment. It is published that air pollution has a crucial role in prognosis of depression.

GENETIC

Around 50% of depression cases are genetic based. Genetic changes increase the suspect ability of anxiety disorder, panic and social phobia which ultimately lead to depression disorders.

GENDER

Women are more likely to get depression as compare to men. This may be due to
hormonal changes take place throughout her life.

BEREAVEMENT

Bereavement means loss of something that you loved which may include loss of job, death of  beloved one, end of relationship and moving to new place.

AGE

Aged or elder people are experienced depression may be because of chronic illness, or isolation we are usually responsible for generated gaps with our elders by saying this,” it is generation gap.”

TRAUMATIC CONDITION

Childhood abuse, family clash, embracement, humiliation, trauma, if someone makes her/his fun and non-acceptance are some examples of traumatic conditions.

CHRONIC ILLNESS

All the chronic illness as mentioned above dysfunction the quality of life which leads to depression. The negative consequences of depression on the body are as follows,

CHANGES IN EATING HABITS AND BODY WEIGHT

There is a change in appetite of a depressed person which ultimately affects body weight. If a person experienced fatigue and decline in energy then there will be increase in appetite which increases the eating tendency and ultimately there will be weight gain but if a person experienced anxiety and gastrointestinal problems like nausea, diarrhea, abdominal pain then there will be loss of appetite and ultimately there will be weight loss.

HEART DISEASES AND DEPRESSION

Overweight or too much underweight Increases the risk of heart problems. Depression is supposed to be one of the most important factors which affects heart health. Unhealthy life style like lack of exercise, overeating, overweight and smoking during depression all are the risk factors for diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol and heart disease. Minor stress is responsible for poor blood flow to heart by increasing blood pressure and heart rate while long term depression causes cortisol a stress hormone to be released which has serious consequences like dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, hyperinsulinemia, hyperglycemia and obesity which ultimately lead to atherosclerosis (affecting blood vessels by stiffening it and causing plaque formation) related cardiovascular disease which is responsible for heart stroke or heart attack and  that are fatal one.

FATIGUE AND DEPRESSION

Fatigue can be defined as lack of physical or mental energy for doing routine activities. Decline in energy, disrupted sleep pattern, sadness and feeling of worthlessness in depressed people increases the feeling of fatigue. According to some studies, fatigue activates immune system via inflammatory process which is responsible for free radicals’ formation.

PAIN IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF BODY

Unexplained pain in different parts of body in depressed people is a very common symptom. Normally depression and comorbidity of pain co exits. Pain in bones, pain in muscles (myalgia), headache and chest pain are very common among depressed people.

INFERTILITY AND DEPRESSION

Depression itself is not responsible for infertility but decreases sexual desire which is supposed to be important risk factor for infertility in depressed patients.

INFLAMMATORY DISORDERS AND DEPRESSION

It is not clear chronic inflammation is responsible for depression or depression is responsible for chronic inflammation but inflammation brings changes in immune system which is risk factor for intestinal problems like IBS (inflammatory bowel disease), diabetes and arthritis.

PARALYSIS AND DEPRESSION

One of the most recent findings about the consequences of depression is the risk of paralysis. According to recent research, the patients who faced the symptoms of depression during the past 1 year have also faced the consequences of paralysis. The risk of paralysis is directly related with severity of depression symptoms. Health issues associated with depression like atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease and diabetes are also supposed to be risk factors of paralysis. Paralysis aggravates the depression in depressed person and recovery becomes very difficult.

CONCLUSION

Accurate diagnosis of depression is very important for mental well-being and physical health. Communication, healthy life style, environment and diet are very important tools for depression prevention. Patients with chronic illness definitely have to go through from mild to moderate or severe depression. Good counseling will definitely boost their psychological health and improve their quality of life despite the burden of chronic illness.