Depression - Symptom, Treatment and cause of Depression
DESCRIPTION of DepressionA disease, not just a state of mind, that affects 30% of people at some time in their life. Patients are not able to pull themselves together and overcome the depression without medical aid, although a determination to improve the situation helps the outcome. CAUSE for DepressionAn imbalance of chemicals that normally occur in the brain to control mood. If too much of one chemical is produced, the patient becomes depressed - if too much of another, the patient becomes manic. May be associated with hormonal changes that occur during a woman's menstrual cycle or with menopause. SYMPTOMS of DepressionThere are two types of depression with different causes -Endogenous depression - no obvious reason for the constant unhappiness,and patients slowly become sadder and sadder, more irritable, unable to sleep, lose appetite and weight, and feel there is no purpose in living.They may feel unnecessarily guilty, have a very poor opinion of themselves, feel life is hopeless and find it difficult to think or concentrate. After several months they usually improve, but sometimes it can take years. When they do start to improve, some patients with depression go too far the other way and become over-happy or manic. These patients are said to be manic depressive, have bipolar personality(generally severe swings of mood) or cyclothymic disorder (milder mood changes).Reactive depression - the sadness that occurs after a death in the family, loss of a job, a marriage break-up or other disaster. Patients are depressed for a definite reason, and with time, will be often be able to cope with the situation, although some patients do require medical help. INVESTIGATIONS for DepressionNo diagnostic blood tests or brain scans, and diagnosis depends on the clinical acumen of the doctor. TREATMENT for DepressionNumerous medications that control the production or activity of the depressing chemicals in the brain are available (eg. Prozac,Aropax, Zoloft, Sinequan, Prothiaden, Efexor, Serzone), but most antidepressant drugs work slowly over several weeks. Hospitalisation in order to use high doses of drugs or other treatments, and to protect the patient from the possibility of suicide, is sometimes necessary when the disease is first diagnosed. The other form of treatment used is shock therapy (electroconvulsive therapy - ECT), which is a safe and often very effective method of giving relief to patients with severe chronic depression. COMPLICATIONS in DepressionUntreated depression may lead to attempted or actual suicide, which can be seen as a desperate plea for help. Depression PROGNOSISMedication and counselling by a general practitioner or psychiatrist will control the vast majority of cases. |
|||
 Abetalipoproteinaemia Abscess Achalasia Acanthosis Nigicans Acoustic Neuroma Acne (Pimples) Acrocephalosyndactyly of Apert Acromegaly Actinomycosis Bacteraemia Baker's Cyst Balanitis Baldness Bard-Pic Syndrome Barlow Syndrome Barmah Forest Virus Barrett Syndrome Bartholin's Cyst Claustrophobia Cleft Lip and Palate Clerabault Syndrome Climacteric Club Foot Cluster Headache Coeliac Disease Coffin-Lowry Syndrome Coffin-Siris Syndrome Cogan Microcystic Corneal Dystrophy Cogan Syndrome Callus Cancer Campylobacter Carcinoid Syndrome da Costa Syndrome Dandruff Dandy Walker Syndrome Darier's Disease Deep Vein Thrombosis Defibrination Syndrome Dehydration Deja Vu de Lange Syndrome Delirium Tremens Dementia Demons-Meigs Syndrome Dengue Fever Depression de Quervain's Tenosynovitis * Dermatitis Dermatitis Artefacta Dermatitis, Atopic Dermatitis Herpetiformis Dermatitis Medicamentosa Dermatofibroma Dermatomyositis de Toni-Fanconi-Debré syndrome Devic's Disease Diabetes Insipidus Diabetes Mellitus Diabetic Ketoacidosis DIARRHOEA Disseminated intravascular coagulation Diencephalic Syndrome di George Syndrome Ear Wax Eaton Lambert Syndrome Faint Fallot Galactosaemia Gallstones Haemangioma Haemochromatosis Iatrogenic Condition Ichabod Jaccoud Syndrome Japanese Encephalitis Kala Azar Kallmann Syndrome Labyrinthitis la Crosse Encephalitis Machado-Joseph Syndrome Macular Degeneration Nabothian Cyst Naevus Obsessive Compulsive Neurosis Oculopharyngeal Muscular Dystrophy Paedophilia Paget's Disease of Bone Q Fever Quadriplegia Rabies Radiation Sickness St.Louis Encephalitis Salivary Stone Tabes Dorsalis Tachycardia Ulcerative Colitis Peptic Ulcer Vaccinia Vaginal Prolapse Waardenburg Syndrome WAGR Syndrome Xanthomatosis Xeroderma Pigmentosa Yaws Yellow Fever Zellweger Syndrome Zollinger- Ellison Syndrome
|
| Home | About Disease-Condition | Resources | Contact | Copyright © 2005 - Disease Condition |
Diseases & Conditions || Symptoms Checker || Herbal Remedies || Asthma || Deep Skin Disorders || Drugs
Featured Listings: Walking Canes - the walking cane does wonders for your everyday life and greatly improves mobility.
