Seasonal Sadness: The Allergy-Mood-Link

Seasonal allergies affect more than 38 million people in America alone each year. For some allergy sufferers, symptoms aren’t just physical; they’re mental, too.

Allergies aren’t just an annoyance – in fact, many researchers confirm an existing link between mood and allergies.

Some symptoms are more serious than others. Fatigue, brain fog and lethargy are common among sufferers, and so is depression. Allergy sufferers are twice as likely to suffer from depression than those without, says Dr. Paul Marshall, neurophysiologist.

“That's not to say that all people with allergies have depression or that all people with depression have allergies,” the article clarifies, “But experiencing allergic reactions does seem to be a risk factor for developing depression—not necessarily the emotional side of the condition, but more physiological symptoms such as low energy.”

But what's the connection? It boils down to our body’s biological response. During allergic reactions, our immune system “releases cytokines, protein molecules used in communication between cells. When they signal the brain, they induce the feelings of sickness, or being "mentally drained," that often accompany the flu.”

This has caused some researchers to hypothesize that low moods are the direct biological affect of allergies, or cytokines.

Allergist Dr. Robert Overholt states that people don’t perform well at work or school when suffering from allergies. Symptoms, combined with the lack of sleep, may not inherently trigger depression, but cause existing depression to worsen.

Whether its situational or not, the reality is that allergies beat sufferers down. Knowing what’s causing low moods can help to ease stress associated with it.

Take a look at the article for more information on treatment.