Seasonal affective disorder is a type of depression that usually occurs during the late fall and winter and is associated with shorter hours of daylight. | Pexels/Mikhail Nilov
Seasonal affective disorder is a type of depression that usually occurs during the late fall and winter and is associated with shorter hours of daylight. | Pexels/Mikhail Nilov
- Approximately 10 million Americans suffer from seasonal depression, also known as seasonal affective disorder, each year.
- Chronic sinus problems can increase the likelihood of depression.
- Depression caused by chronic sinusitis can be treated by addressing the sinus problems.
"When patients are experiencing any sinusitis, the pain aspect of things and the fatigue, energy levels are just low," Khanna told the Gateway Reporter. "I think that's definitely the fuel to add to that depression cycle, where your energy levels are down. You just don't feel like doing anything, you just get into this malaise, because fatigue is a very common symptom of chronic and acute sinusitis. It definitely affects your energy levels, which certainly can exacerbate people who have depression or can lead down that road to a milder depression, if this is untreated."
According to a report from Boston University (BU), about 10,000,000 Americans suffer from SAD, which can include symptoms such as sadness, sluggishness and weight changes. SAD most often occurs during the winter, when days are shorter and there is less sunlight during the day. In addition, SAD is more likely to affect women than men.
Treatments for SAD may include light therapy or medical treatments, such as antidepressants. According to Physician's Weekly, studies have found that people who have chronic sinusitis could be more likely to suffer from depression and anxiety.
In one study, a group of 16,224 people who were treated for chronic sinusitis, while a group of 32,448 "similar people" were studied, who did not have sinus problems. The results showed that over the the course of 11 years, the sinusitis sufferers were more than 50% more likely to develop depression or anxiety, according to Physician's Weekly.
As many as 25% of people who deal with chronic sinusitis also experience depression, as well as other sinus infection symptoms such as headaches, facial pain, a cough and nasal discharge, according to a report by Houston Advanced Nose and Sinus. However, depression caused by sinusitis can be treated by addressing the sinus infection through medication or surgical practices, such as balloon sinuplasty.
If you're interested in learning more about chronic sinus problems and allergies, take this Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz.
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