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/Teona Swift
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/Teona Swift
• Approximately 10 million Americans experience seasonal depression, also known as seasonal affective disorder, each year.
• Chronic sinus problems can increase the likelihood of experiencing depression.
• Depression caused by chronic sinusitis can be treated by addressing the sinus problems.
Millions of Americans experience seasonal affective disorder (SAD) during the winter. Dr. Anthony Sanders of Indianapolis Sinus Center said chronic sinus problems can also increase your risk of experiencing depression.
"Fatigue is a common symptom associated with rhinosinusitis, as is poor concentration," Sanders told the Anderson Reporter. "I think people just feel poorly and they tend to not function as well because of that. They tend not to rest as well. Depression tends to be more prevalent in people with chronic sinusitis than without. It definitely can affect how people function in their jobs and in their lives. I've certainly witnessed that and have also witnessed the corollary that once you help people with these symptoms, they tend to function better, feel better, function more normally."
SAD can include symptoms such as sadness, sluggishness and weight changes, according to Boston University. SAD typically occurs during the winter, when days are shorter and there is less sunlight than other times of the year, and it is more likely to affect women than men. Treatments for SAD can include light therapy or traditional treatments, such as antidepressants.
Studies have found that people who have chronic sinusitis could also be more likely to suffer from depression and anxiety, Physician's Weekly reported. One study compared a group of 16,224 people who were treated for chronic sinusitis with a group of 32,448 "similar people" who did not have sinus problems. The study found that over the next 11 years, the sinusitis sufferers were more than 50% more likely to develop depression or anxiety.
A report from Houston Advanced Nose and Sinus found that as many as 25% of people who have chronic sinusitis also experience depression, along with more familiar sinus infection symptoms such as headaches, facial pain, a cough and nasal discharge. Depression caused by chronic sinusitis can be treated by addressing the sinus infection through medication or a surgery like balloon sinuplasty.
To evaluate your sinus or allergy symptoms, take this Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz.
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