Are you depressed? Maybe it’s your allergies?

Depression and anxiety affect millions of Americans, but what we are discovering is that the root causes are part of a wide spectrum. According to the National Network of Depression Centers (NNDC), $210.5 billion of earnings are lost each year due to serious mental illness. Depression affects persons of all ages and is the leading cause of disability in the U.S. among people who are ages 15-44. On the flip-side, anxiety disorders affect at least 40 million people. So why is this number growing at an alarming rate? The exact reasons are still unclear, but we have some new findings: allergies.

“Allergies are the sixth leading cause of chronic illness in the [United States],” according to the data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), leading to healthcare costs in excess of $18 billion each year. This means that at least 50 million people, in the United States, have at least one allergy. Research suggests that certain allergic conditions can affect mental health.

One study from Medical News Today has found that asthma, allergic rhinitis, and eczema could increase a person’s risk of developing a mental illness. This research has also found that individuals with year-long allergies were more likely to have depression. Those with seasonal allergies tend to live with generalized anxiety. 

More studies need to be completed in order to truly discover the cause-and-effect relationship between allergies and depression and anxiety. However there is no doubt that there is a nutritional connection, as well as an impact of the immune system on allergies and asthma, and now depression and anxiety.

So what does all of this preliminary information mean? It means that we need to be more cognizant of how are lifestyles may be affecting are illnesses or putting us at risk of these illnesses. It also means that doctors need to think outside the box and push for finding the source(s) of the anxiety or depression. We can’t rely on a pile of prescriptions to solve our problems in the long-term. There is a place for them in treatment, but after a more out-of-the-box approach is taken to find the cause. With prescriptions for anxiety and depression rising nationwide, let’s consider some things.

There are endless reasons why all methods to finding the root cause of the anxiety and depression should be exhausted before taking medication. One extremely good reason is that the corresponding treatments can affect one’s ability to become or continue to be insured. We can only rely on what we can control. What we can control is what we consume. Let’s work together that you are living the healthiest life possible.

Derived from: Medical News Today. Additional Sources: Brain & Behavior Research Foundation, NNDC, and GoodRX.