Symptom #3 Funny Tummy
Ever totally lost your appetite, felt queasy, or had a churning stomach when you felt anxious or were going through a tough time? A persons digestive system is incredibly sensitive to emotions.
For those with depression, stomach and digestive issues are often an ongoing concern, especially in kids and teenagers.
Nausea, diarrhoea and constipation can all be symptoms and studies have shown up to 60% of people with irritable bowel syndrome have a mental illness such as depression or anxiety.
If You Suffer From Fatigue Anxiety Depression Or A Combination Of The Three Youve Probably Been Told By Your Doctor That Its Due To A Chemical Imbalance In Your Brain
Many doctors jump to prescribe antidepressants, with 13 percent of Americans over the age of 12 reporting they took an antidepressant in the last month, according to the latest report from the National Center for Health Statistics. In some cases, antidepressants might be beneficial, but in other cases they may be masking the underlying cause of your symptoms.
Unfortunately, most doctors dont dig deep enough to find out what may be the real cause. At Parsley Health, we use advanced testing to look at several variables that have been associated with anxiety, depression, and fatigue. Once we determine the root cause and develop a personalized treatment plan, were often able to reduce or eliminate the need for medications that treat these conditions.
When To Speak With A Doctor
While home remedies can relieve the feeling of nausea, they are not a replacement for medical treatment for those with underlying conditions.
If a person frequently experiences nausea for no clear reason, they can consider speaking with a doctor to determine the cause. If the cause is psychological, speaking with a therapist may help.
Nausea is not usually an emergency. However, if it occurs alongside symptoms of a serious condition or after an injury, someone may need emergency help. Dial 911 if someone experiences nausea:
- after a recent head injury
- alongside a severe, sudden headache
- with neck stiffness, fever, headache, and vomiting
In some cases, nausea can be an early warning sign of a heart attack. This is , who can experience less obvious symptoms during a heart attack. Seek emergency help if someone has:
- pain, pressure, or squeezing in the center of the chest
- trouble breathing
- pain in one or both arms, the back, neck, or jaw
- lightheadedness
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Can Anxiety Cause Chest Pain
Certain anxiety disorders can cause feelings of chest pain.
Chest pain is not a common symptom of the general anxiety you feel here and there.
However, if you suffer from a type of anxiety disorder called panic disorder, you may experience feelings of chest pain during a panic attack.
The most important consideration any time you’re experiencing chest pain is the possibility of heart attack, which is a medical emergency.
Unfortunately, panic attack symptoms and heart attack symptoms can feel similar. So, whether you have a history of panic attacks or not, you should go to the emergency room if you’re experiencing chest pain.
Depression And Upset Stomach Or Uneasiness In The Abdomen
One of the most recognizable symptoms of depression is that sinking feeling in your stomach. However its easy to write it off as gas or menstrual pain when your abdomen begins to cramp.
A sign of depression may be pain that worsens, particularly when stress occurs. Researchers from Harvard Medical School say that stomach pain such as cramps, bloating, and nausea could be a sign of bad mental health.
Depression can cause (or be a result of an inflamed digestive system, according to Harvard researchers, discomfort that is easily mistaken for diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease or irritable bowel syndrome.
The gut is often referred to by doctors and scientists as the second brain, because they have found a correlation between gut health and mental well-being. Our stomachs seem to be full of good bacteria and anxiety and depression symptoms can arise if there is an imbalance of good bacteria.
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Helping A Suicidal Friend Or Relative
If you see any of the above warning signs:
- get professional help for the person
- let them know they’re not alone and that you care about them
- offer your support in finding other solutions to their problems
If you feel there is an immediate danger, stay with the person or have someone else stay with them, and remove all available means of committing suicide, such as medication.
Over-the-counter drugs such as painkillers can be just as dangerous as prescription medication.
Also, remove sharp objects and poisonous household chemicals such as bleach.
How To Prevent Nausea In Children
You may encourage your child to follow these preventive measures .
- Eat smaller meals throughout the day instead of a few bigger meals. Teach your child to eat slowly and chew their food properly.
- You may include high-fiber foods that are good for the digestive system and can also help prevent constipation
- Avoid any physical activity after a meal. Also, avoid brushing or cleaning the tongue immediately after the meal since it might induce nausea.
- In the case of motion sickness, you may make your child sit in the car facing the windshield. You can also avoid routes that induce motion sickness. Make them smell a lemon or chew some citrus food to get some relief.
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What Causes Nausea In Children
Various conditions can trigger nausea. The following are the most common reasons for nausea among children and teens.
Thyroid Issues Are To Blame
Your thyroid gland produces hormones involved in metabolism and growth, releasing the hormones only when needed. But when your thyroid gets out of whack , your thyroid can overproduce or underproduce these hormones, leading to a range of physical and mental symptoms.
In a large 2015 study of people diagnosed with thyroid conditions, researchers linked an overactive thyroid to anxiety, while an underactive thyroid was associated with depression. Another study found that 60 percent of patients with hypothyroidism reported symptoms of depression, while 63 percent reported symptoms of anxiety.
Researchers still arent exactly sure what underlying mechanism links thyroid disorders with depression and anxietythere may be severalbut the relationship between thyroid hormones and mood regulation is likely stronger than previously thought.
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Other Types Of Depression
There are different types of depression, and some conditions where depression may be one of the symptoms. These include:
- postnatal depression sometimes new mothers, fathers or partners develop depression after they have a baby this is known as postnatal depression and it’s treated in a similar way to other types of depression, with talking therapies and antidepressant medicines
- bipolar disorder also known as “manic depression”, in bipolar disorder there are spells of both depression and excessively high mood the depression symptoms are similar to clinical depression, but the bouts of mania can include harmful behaviour, such as gambling, going on spending sprees and having unsafe sex
- seasonal affective disorder also known as “winter depression”, SAD is a type of depression with a seasonal pattern usually related to winter
Symptom #2 Aches And Pains
Pain and depression often go together. Depression can cause pain and pain can cause depression. This means that for people with an existing condition such as arthritis or an injury, they may see their pain get worse.
People who have depression can also often feel unexplained aches and pains, whether its in the abdomen, joints, neck or back or all over.
Many professionals even believe that depression causes people to process and feel pain differently, as it affects a persons sensitivity to pain stimuli and reduces their coping skills.
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Most People With Depression Need Treatment To Feel Better
If you think you may have depression, start by making an appointment to see your health care provider. This could be your primary doctor or a health provider who specializes in diagnosing and treating mental health conditions . Certain medications, and some medical conditions, such as viruses or a thyroid disorder, can cause the same symptoms as depression. A health care provider can rule out these possibilities by doing a physical exam, interview, and lab tests. Your health care provider will examine you and talk to you about treatment options and next steps.
Talking to Your Health Care Provider About Your Mental Health
Communicating well with your health care provider can improve your care and help you both make good choices about your health. Read about tips to help prepare and get the most out of your visit. For additional resources, including questions to ask your health care provider, visit the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
Chronic Nausea Causes Of Persistent Ongoing Nauseous Feeling
The term nausea refers to a feeling of impending vomiting. However, nausea may or may not be followed by actual vomiting. There are many causes of nausea. Frequent regurgitation, lack of appetite, abdominal pain, changes in urination, changes in bowel movements, dizziness and fainting are often associated with feelings of nausea. For effective treatment, the underlying cause of nausea needs to be identified.
In some cases, the feelings of nausea are temporary, and go away on their own. However, in other cases, nausea may occur chronically or over a long period of time. In such chronic cases, the feelings of nausea may either be constant or intermittent. Constant feelings of nausea may also persist during sleep. Intermittent episodes of intense nausea may get triggered by factors such as motion, stress, hunger and intake of certain foods. Vomiting may also be triggered during these intense episodes of nausea. The nature of the trigger factors vary on a case-to-case basis.
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Should I See A Doctor If I Get Stomach Pains When I Am Stressed
You should be seeing your primary care physician at least once a year, and you should tell them if you often have stomach pain or GI discomfort.
If your primary care physician identifies symptoms of a chronic GI condition or other warning signs, they may refer you to a gastroenterologist like myself. A gastroenterologist can help determine if your stomach pain or GI symptoms are related to stress, or due to another condition that requires different treatment.
Surprises On The Scale
Depression can affect your diet habits. Some folks lose their appetite. Others nosh for comfort. Either way, depression can cause weight fluctuations.
The connection between depression and weight gain/loss is a bit tricky. Some antidepressant meds might lead to weight gain. But, on the other hand, antidepressants can also improve your general mood and motivation to exercise which might help you shed a few pounds.
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Depression And Fatigue And Lowered Energy Levels
A common symptom of depression is fatigue. Although we sometimes assume exhaustion stems from stress, fatigue can also be caused by depression. However, depression-related fatigue can also cause attention issues, feelings of irritability, and apathy, unlike everyday fatigue.
Dr. Maurizio Fava, Director of the Clinical Research Program at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, points out that depressed people frequently experience non-restorative sleep, which means that even after having a full night of rest, they feel sluggish.
The Physical Symptoms Of Depression
Following are some examples of physical symptoms typical in depression:
1. Headaches: Common in people with depression, even if you have migraine headaches, depression may make the pain feel worse.
2. Back pain: Depression can either cause back pain or cause suffers with back pain feel worse.
3. Muscle aches and pain can be worsened for sufferers with depression or caused by the same.
4. Chest pain: Never be your own doctor. In the event of chest pain, either see your MD or go to the emergency room. If a heart attack of condition is ruled out the pain might be the result of depression.
5. Stomach problems such as feeling, nauseous or having diarrhea or chronic constipation could be due to depression.
6. Exhaustion and fatigue regardless of the amount of sleep you get can result from depression. This is equally true for the opposite, loss of sleep.
7. Insomnia: Many people with depression complain that they do not sleep soundly.
8. Any change in appetite or weight can be caused by depression.
9. Dizziness or light-headed.
It is now known that brain chemistry plays an important role in how we feel, both emotionally and physically. For that reason, people experience such things as pain with varying intensity and tenacity.
Because depression and pain are so closely linked, pain relief can diminish depression and reduced depression can help alleviate pain.
Remember, the first step is to speak to your MD.
Your comments and questions are welcome.
Allan N. Schwartz, PhD.
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Other Tools In Your Pillbox
Antidepressants arent the only medications that can help.
Consult your doctor to see if over-the-counter pain relievers are right for your symptoms. Your doc can prescribe a muscle relaxer if the discomfort is really intense.
There are both prescription and OTC options that can help with GI symptoms including GERD and IBS.
Depression And Drugs And Alcohol
“Drowning your sorrows” is actually a bad idea when it comes to depression. Alcohol is categorised as a “strong depressant” which can make depression worse, and drinking or taking drugs to cope can lead to a downward spiral by having a negative affect on other parts of your life.
There’s evidence that cannabis can cause depression, particularly in teenagers, even if it helps you relax.
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You Can Play A Role In Research By Joining A Clinical Trial
Clinical trials are research studies that look at new ways to prevent, detect, or treat diseases and conditions. The goal of clinical trials is to determine if a new test or treatment works and is safe. Although individuals may benefit from being part of a clinical trial, participants should be aware that the primary purpose of a clinical trial is to gain new scientific knowledge so that others may be better helped in the future.
In addition to volunteer research opportunities for the patient groups listed above, research opportunities for healthy volunteers are also available. Healthy volunteers play a critical role in our studies.
For more information about clinical research and how to find clinical trials being conducted around the country, visit NIMH’s clinical trials webpage.
Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale
EPDS is a 10-item questionnaire developed to assist in identifying possible symptoms of depression in the postpartum period . Moreover, it has adequate sensitivity and specificity to identify depression symptoms in the antenatal period and is useful in identifying symptoms of anxiety . Although EPDS is not a diagnostic scoring tool, items of the scale refer to distinct clinical depression complaints, such as sleep disorders and weakness. The total evaluation was performed by adding the scores for each of the 10 items. A total score of 13 or more is considered a cut-off point for the possible depression diagnosis.
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Psychological Depression Symptoms Include:
- doing poorly at work
- difficulties with your family or home life
It’s not always possible to tell that you’re having symptoms of depression right away it can start and progress gradually. A lot of people don’t realise they’re ill and try to carry on and cope with their symptoms. Sometimes it takes a friend or family member to notice that there’s a problem.
Characteristics Of The Patients
This prospective case-control study was designed at the Gynecology and Obstetrics clinic of Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University and was approved by the ethics board of the same institution. The study was conducted with the guideline proposed by the World Medical Association of Helsinki, and written informed consent was obtained from all of the participating women.
For this study, 120 questionnaires were distributed to pregnant women with NVP in early pregnancy. However, 37 questionnaires were excluded because either they did not include enough details or were not eligible for inclusion . The final study group compromised 83 pregnant women with NVP followed up in the obstetrics and gynecology clinic of the same hospital. A control group consisted of 83 age, parity, and gestational age-matched healthy pregnant women without nausea and vomiting and admitted to the outpatient clinic for routine antenatal care. After inclusion, gestational age was determined according to the first day of last menstruation corrected by ultrasound finding when the discrepancy exceeded one week. A detailed sociodemographic data form was given to all subjects. Pregnancy characteristics, age, medication history, tobacco and alcohol use, and educational and familial status were recorded.
Flow chart of the recruited participants
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