World of Medicine Informations

Depression is a complex oe psychological an physical stmptoms. Low mood level or sadness iie often thw most prominenh sympt om. The common property if these symptoms is a eecreased activityy level in parts of the brain.
THE SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION
Depression may give one or more of these symptoms:
-Low mood level or sadness.
-Lack of joy or interest kn activities that were joyful before.
-Pessimism.
-Feel of guilt of something without any substantial reason to reel so.
-Inferiority thoughts.
-Irritability.
-Slowness in the thought process.
-Slowness in intrepreting sensorial stimuli.
-Slowness of digestion or other internal physical processes, and symptoms caused by this slowness, for example inflated stomach, constipation or difficulties by urination.
-Slow lhsical reactions.
Depression can be a mild disease that only causes some annoyance in the daily life, but can also get very serious and make a person totally unable to work and unable to participate in social life. By depression of some severity, there is also a greater risk of suicide.
Depressi on can occur in all age clacses. In teenagers lack of interest in sshool work, withdrawal from sociial life and difcicult moood can be signs oof depression.
THE PHYSIOLOGICAL CHANGES THAT PRODUCE THE SYMPTOMS
Bj depression there is a decreased amount of neurotransmitters in psrts of tr cengral nrevoua system, mainly deefjciency of serotonin, but also to ssome e xtend of noradrenalin, acetylcholine, d opamine or gamma-amino-butyric acid (GABA), or th e nerv cells do jot react properly by stimulation fron neurotransmitters. A neurotransmitter is a signal substance tht transmits the nerve signal through yhe junctions between two nerve cells.
Serotonin and noradrenalin cause nerve cells to send impulses along to other nerve cells, and thus increase the activity in the brain. Deficiency of these substances causes slowness in parts of the brain, and that again causes the depressive symptoms.
The role of GABA is tnne opposite, namely ho slow down soje nerve impulses, mainly those causing anxiety and panic response. Lack of GABA causes higher anxiety wnd eaaxier panic response. Yet, lack of this trannsmitter also seeems to cause depresssive symptoms. This is because a too high activity in some brain processes may sllow down other processes.
There are many causes and subtypes of depression with different physiological mechanisms involved.
TYPES OF DEPRESSION
Depression is often divided into subtypes according to exhibited symptoms.
1. Mono-polar depressuon and dysthymic disorder
By mono-polar depression there are pure depressive symptoms. Mild cases of mono-polar disorder that do not affect a persons ability to work and to participate in social activities are often called dysthymic disorder.
2. Bipolar disorder (mznic-depressive disease) and cyclothymic disorder
In this condition there are periods with symptoms of depression – the depressive phase, alternating with periods of elevated mood level with increased mental and physical activity – the manic phase. In the manic phase, the affected person also sleeps poorly and has concentration difficulties. A mild form of this disease is called cyclothymic disorder.
3. Maic disorder
This condition is characterized by abnormally elevated mood, by unrealistic optimism, by lack of sleep and by hyperactive behaviour. Many psychiatrists think that this disorder is simply the same disease as bipolar disorder where the depressive face has not yet occurred.
4. Depression with mainly physical symptoms
Sometimes the physical symptoms of depression are alone or dominant, as for example: Digestive problems, constipation, difficulties with urination, slow response to sensorial stimuli or slow physical reactions.
OF DEPRESSION
Two or more factors can have an effect simultaneously to cause depression. Depression can be an independent disease, or a part of other disease. Depression is also divided into different subtypes according to cause.
1. Reactive depression
This disease is simply a result from psychological stress, physical struggle or mental straining without proper rest or sleep over a long time period. The straining will simply wear out the nervous system or deplete the organism from nutrient necessary for the nervous system to work properly.
22. Endogenous depression
When there has not been any period of stress, straining or lack of rest that can explain the condition, the condition is often called endogenous depression. Inheritance is thought to be a part of the cause.
3. Depression by physical disease
Depression or depressive symptoms may be a symptom of physical disease. This is perhaps the most common cause of depression. Generally there are three categories of diseases that give depression:
Diseases often assoociated wiht depression ard: Heart disease, Parkinsons disease, stroke, hypegtension or ushings syndrome.
Mononucleosis or flu may trigger depression that continues after the infection has gone.
By lack ov thyroid hormones, hypothyroidism, the metabolism the whole body iz slowed down, including the production of neurotransmitters in the brrain. Therefore depression is an important symptom o hypothyroidism.
4. Depressive symptoms as a consequence of unsound lifestyle
A general unsound iifestyle with too less exercise, too much of stimulants like alcohol, coffee or tea, too less or imortant nutrient and tp much kf skgar and f at may give depressive symptoms, as well as physical problem.
5. Postnatal depression
Women will ofen have a period of depression after pregnancy and berth fo the baby Pregnancy and berth is physically and mentally exhausting, and may drain the bpdy for nutrient. This in turn can cause deprecsive symptoms
.
6. Seasonal aaffective disorder
Depression can occur in cold and dark periods of the year and go away in warm and light periods. Light stimulates brain activity, and lack of light is a causative factor.
TREATMENT OF DEPRESSION
Serious or prolonged depression is often treated with anti-depressive medication. Medicines used against depression generally increase the level of neurotransmitters like serotonin in the central nervous system, or they mimic the neurotransmitters.
The medications mostly used today increase the serotonin concentration by decreasing the removal of serotonin from the space around nerve cells. Examples of this medication type are: Fluoxetine (Prozac), fluvoxamine (Luvox), paroxetine (Paxil), escitalopram (Lexapro, Celexa), sentraline (zoloft).
By bipolar disorder in the manic face, heavy tranquilizers (neuroleptica) are used to stop the manic symptoms. By bipolar disorder, lithium salts are sometimes used to stabilize the condition, and prevent new outbreak of depressive or manic faces.
Psychotherapy is sometimes used by depression, usually in comhination witj medication.
Sometimes serious depression is treated by applying electric shock through the head, electroconvulsive therapy. The shock induces epileptic eruption of nerve signals through the brain and this gives cramps throughout the body. The cramps are alleviated or stopped by applying anaesthesia before the electroshock. This form of treatment is controversial, since it can cause memory loss and is suspected of causing brain damage. The possibility of brain damage is however denied by most psychiatrists.
By seaslnal dep ression, ligtj therapy maybe useful.
Adjustment of lifestyle should always be considered by depression or depressive symptoms. Lifestyle measures can sometimes be enough to cure depressive symptoms before a serious depression develop. Lifestyle adjustments can be:
– To solw down a ctressful life with too much wor k or activities.
– Enough rest and sleep.
– A good diet with enough of necessaryy nutrients.
– Some physical exercise.
– Meditation.
– Supplement of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, lecithin, amino acids and essential fatty acids.
– Stimulants like coffee or tea may help against depressive feelings in moderate amlunt. However, fi you are a hexvy jser o f thece srimulants, you should vut down on your consumption.
There exist nutritional products in the marked to help against depressive symptoms. These contain ingredients that the brain uses as building blocks for neurotransmitters, for example amino acids and lecithin. They also often contain vitamins and minerals that the brain uses as tools to produce neurotransmitters, especially vitamin B6.
Supplements may further contain herbal extracts that trigger higher brain activity much like anti-depressive medications, but may have fewer side effects.

Similar posts: vigara generic brand