Depression is a mood disorder that can cause a prolonged feeling of gloominess or sadness, and the most commonly diagnosed type of depression is clinical or major depression. It can directly impact how one feels, behaves, and even thinks about situations and people. Additionally, it can lead to several physical as well as emotional issues. People with depression may find it extremely difficult to go about their daily activities and carry out simple tasks like getting out of bed or brushing their teeth. Depression warrants medical and psychological intervention to fight the symptoms and improve the quality of life for the patient. In this article, we will cover different aspects of this disorder. Symptoms of depression People tend to experience multiple episodes of this disorder. Some of the common symptoms they exhibit during these episodes are constant feelings of tearfulness, emptiness, or sadness. Frequent outbursts of anger and frustration and constant irritability are also common signs of a depressive disorder. Also, one may lose interest in their hobbies or other activities they liked to indulge in earlier, and depression may even manifest in the form of low libido. People with depression may also experience constant tiredness or lack of energy, so the smallest of tasks can take a lot of effort to complete.

Many people face eye health issues at some point in their life. While some of these issues are minor and tend to resolve on their own or with basic treatment, others are severe and require a specialist’s care. There are multiple reasons for poor eye health, which might lead to partial or total blindness. In this article, we have listed the three most commonly diagnosed eye conditions, along with their symptoms and risk factors. Glaucoma Glaucoma is the second biggest cause of permanent blindness among people in the country. The aqueous humor is a watery fluid found in the eye’s anterior chamber where the camera, iris, lens, and pupil are located. This fluid is vital to the functioning of the eyes, as it maintains the requisite pressure called the Intraocular Pressure (IOP) and provides nutrients to help maintain the shape of the eye. An increase in this pressure leads to glaucoma. Symptoms In most cases, glaucoma is asymptomatic and progresses gradually, but the symptoms may appear gradually in some cases. Here are the common signs of this eye condition: Nausea Blurry vision Severe eye pain, along with nausea and vomiting Redness of the eye Headache Tenderness in the surrounding area Viewing halos around lights Risk factors Ethnicity African-Americans face a higher risk of this condition that affects eye health.

The news of a baby arriving brings an enormous amount of happiness in the family. With pregnancy come the various highs and the lows in the health of the expecting mother. It’s important to remember that family history has an important role in what health conditions the baby may inherit and how parents deal with them. It goes without saying that family & pregnancy are very much related to each other. Causes of complications in pregnancy It is advisable to know about the family history of both the parents so that timely action can be taken against issues such as genetic diseases, birth defects, and developmental disabilities. However, before delving into the relationship between family & pregnancy and the associated risk factors, let’s first look at some of the most common causes of complications in pregnancy. There are several causes that can lead to complications in pregnancy. Complications are health problems that involve the mother or baby or both. Some women experience issues during pregnancy, while some experience pre-pregnancy issues. The following causes of complications in pregnancy are quite common: High blood pressure can cause complications in pregnancy as it becomes hard for the blood to reach the placenta. This plays an important role in providing oxygen and nutrients to the fetus.

Gout is a type of arthritis that can affect any person. Generally, it affects the big toe’s base joint and may appear as sudden and severe pain, redness and tenderness, and swelling. Symptoms may appear and disappear at the slightest trigger, but luckily, there are several ways to prevent flares and manage the symptoms. Symptoms Generally, the symptoms of this ailment occur in the middle of the night and include the following: Severe joint pain Although gout generally affects the big toe joint, it may affect any other joint too. Some other affected parts may be wrists, ankles, fingers, elbows, and knees. Individuals usually suffer from severe pain between the first four and 12 hours of its onset. Limited motion range As the disorder progresses, you may lose the normal motion in the affected joints. Lingering discomfort Even after the severest pain passes away, you may feel the discomfort for several days or even weeks. Over a period, the attacks may affect more joints and result in increased discomfort. Redness and inflammation The affected joints are often warm, swollen, red, and tender. Causes Initially, gout is the result of excessive uric acid in the blood, known as hyperuricemia. The higher levels result in the accumulation of urate crystals in the affected joints, which cause severe pain and inflammation.

Diabetes is a condition that develops due to high sugar levels in the blood. Insulin, a hormone in the body, helps the sugar in the blood to be transported to different cells of the body. These cells either utilize this sugar for energy or store it for future use. However, in this condition, the body either fails to produce sufficient insulin or is unable to use the insulin that it makes.  Symptoms Some common signs of diabetes (type 1 and type 2) include: Weight loss Blurry vision Fatigue Excessive hunger or thirst Excessive urination Sores, which do not heal easily Men-centric symptoms Erectile dysfunction Low libido Muscle strength reduces Women-centric symptoms Yeast infections Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) Itchy or dry skin Gestational diabetes Usually, a lot of women who suffer from gestational diabetes do not showcase any symptoms. In them, the condition is primarily detected during a routine pregnancy test done between the 24 th and 28 th week. In a few cases, women with gestational diabetes also experience extreme urination or thirst. Causes The cause of diabetes is often dependent upon its type. Type 1 There is no certainty of the exact cause of this form of diabetes. However, what happens is that the immune system tends to attack and further destroy the beta cells, which are responsible for producing insulin in the pancreas.

Several diseases are included under the umbrella term of heart diseases and are also called cardiovascular diseases. They lead to the blood vessels becoming narrow or getting blocked, which, in turn, can result in a heart attack or stroke or cause pain in the chest. Other heart conditions affect the heart’s muscle, rhythm, or valve. Symptoms The symptoms vary according to the condition diagnosed. The symptoms of common cardiovascular diseases are discussed below. Symptoms of atherosclerotic disease Pain in the chest or feeling a sense of tightness or discomfort in the area Shortness of breath Limbs feeling numb or severely cold if the blood vessels have narrowed in the area, as it affects blood circulation Pain in the jaw, back, upper abdomen, or neck Symptoms of abnormality in the heartbeat or arrhythmia Fluttering sensation in the chest Racing or slow heartbeat Discomfort or pain in the chest Feeling dizzy or fainting Light-headedness Symptoms of heart defects or related conditions Skin color turning blue or pale gray Abdominal swelling or swelling in the area surrounding the eyes Shortness of breath while feedings in case of an infant Symptoms of dilated cardiomyopathy Breathlessness Swelling in the legs, feet, and ankles Feeling a sense of fatigue and dizziness Irregular heartbeat Symptoms related to heart infections Fever Shortness of breath Feeling weak Change in the heart rhythm Persistent cough Skin rashes Causes The causes vary depending on the type of heart disease one is affected with.

GERD stands for gastroesophageal reflux disease and is a condition in which the stomach acid rises back into the food pipe and causes a sense of discomfort. Over time, this continuous backwash impacts the esophagus lining and causes heartburn. A lot of people occasionally experience acid reflux and heartburn, but GERD occurs when this problem becomes a lot more frequent. In this article, we will look at the various aspects that need to be considered when it comes to GERD. Signs of GERD There are plenty of signs and symptoms of GERD, and heartburn is the biggest one. Other major symptoms of GERD include Chest pain Difficulty when it comes to swallowing A continual regurgitation of both food and sour stomach liquids A sensation or a lump inside the throat For people who have night-time acid reflux, the common symptoms include laryngitis, chronic cough, or asthma as time progresses. They may also suffer from disrupted sleep. For such instances of GERD and heartburn, we recommend consulting an expert as soon as these symptoms become frequent. Causes of GERD GERD is the consequence of acid reflux and heartburn occurring frequently in the body. When we swallow our food, the circular band of muscles around the esophagus relaxes to ensure that the entire ingestion process happens smoothly.