Can there be a link between allergies and anxiety?
| Jun 4, 2019, 11:15 IST
Summer season is finally upon us and we're practically in the dead centre of it. While for many people the summer spells beach days and picnics, for others it can turn into a nightmare because of their allergies. Now, it's understood that allergies can take a toll on one's physical health, but can they affect a person's mental health too? A recent study found that there is indeed a “positive association between anxiety and seasonal allergies.”
“I think it’s accurate to characterize allergies as a risk factor for depression,” says Paul Marshall, a clinical neurophysiologist. Dr Kaushik Sinha Deb, a psychiatrist explains, “Allergies are hyper inflammatory reactions to normal substances.” He further added that there is a theory of depression that states the condition could be caused due to inflammatory disorders, “so there may be an inflammatory connection, but to say that they are directly linked is an oversimplification.”
Another doctor added that, “during any mental illness, our immune system gets disturbed and there is a definite mind-body link.” "I have patients who come to me for psychological treatments, and I often refer them to a dermatologist to help with their physical symptoms and this helps with their mental illness too," he added. He also said that skin allergies could cause mental stress which could further lead to depression and anxiety.
However, there is no definitive link between allergies and depression as of now. "If you can’t breathe through your nose, if you have headaches, if you can’t sleep well at night, there’s a good chance you’re going to feel depressed," says one professor. “Mental illness is multifaceted, and there is hardly every just one cause. For example, childhood stress is closely linked to depression, but there is no causal connect,” added Dr. Deb.
What they're all trying to say is that while one may feel low because of their allergies, that feeling is not the same as having depression. Feeling low can be treated by combating the allergies but depression is a whole different condition and needs to be treated accordingly. Stay tuned for more updates.
“I think it’s accurate to characterize allergies as a risk factor for depression,” says Paul Marshall, a clinical neurophysiologist. Dr Kaushik Sinha Deb, a psychiatrist explains, “Allergies are hyper inflammatory reactions to normal substances.” He further added that there is a theory of depression that states the condition could be caused due to inflammatory disorders, “so there may be an inflammatory connection, but to say that they are directly linked is an oversimplification.”
Another doctor added that, “during any mental illness, our immune system gets disturbed and there is a definite mind-body link.” "I have patients who come to me for psychological treatments, and I often refer them to a dermatologist to help with their physical symptoms and this helps with their mental illness too," he added. He also said that skin allergies could cause mental stress which could further lead to depression and anxiety.
However, there is no definitive link between allergies and depression as of now. "If you can’t breathe through your nose, if you have headaches, if you can’t sleep well at night, there’s a good chance you’re going to feel depressed," says one professor. “Mental illness is multifaceted, and there is hardly every just one cause. For example, childhood stress is closely linked to depression, but there is no causal connect,” added Dr. Deb.
What they're all trying to say is that while one may feel low because of their allergies, that feeling is not the same as having depression. Feeling low can be treated by combating the allergies but depression is a whole different condition and needs to be treated accordingly. Stay tuned for more updates.
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