Are Allergies Linked To Anxiety And Depression?

Full Article: https://wexnermedical.osu.edu/blog/are-allergies-linked-to-anxiety-and-depression

Author: Kara Wada, MD

Published on: July 5, 2019

The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

As anyone who has allergies can attest, they can be downright annoying.

You may suffer from itchy eyes, runny nose, coughing and sneezing. And while all of these allergy symptoms can make you feel miserable, new research shows that it could also negatively affect your mental health.

Researchers in Germany and Switzerland studied possible associations between conditions relating to mental health, such as depression and anxiety, and the presence of allergies.

Their findings, published in the International Archives of Allergy and Immunology, found that, if you have generalized anxiety, you’ll tend to have seasonal allergies to grass or pollen. But this didn’t hold true if you suffer from year-round allergies to cats or dogs. The study also discovered that you’ll be more likely to have depression if you have year-round allergies.

Other research has also suggested links between your mental health and allergies.

For instance, a study conducted in Taiwan and published last year in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry found that, if you have asthma, allergic rhinitis or atopic dermatitis (eczema), this could increase your risk of developing a mental illness.

To read the full article, click the link below:

https://wexnermedical.osu.edu/blog/are-allergies-linked-to-anxiety-and-depression