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In terms of its prevalence, as well as the pain, dysfunction, morbidity, and economic cost it causes, depression is a serious public health concern. Depression is a widespread and significant medical condition that has a negative impact on how you feel, think, and behave. It is also, thankfully, treatable. Depression produces unhappiness and/or a loss of interest in previously appreciated activities. It can cause a slew of mental and physical issues, as well as a reduction in your capacity to operate at work and home.
Depression can lead to several other health problems as well. A new study published in the JAMA Ophthalmology found that depression can lead to severe dry eyes.
The severity of the eye problem varies greatly: Many people suffer from minor dry eye as a result of gazing at computers all day, and it may be treated with over-the-counter eye drops and periodic screen breaks. Others have severe symptoms, which are sometimes linked to autoimmune diseases including Sjogren's syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis.
While preliminary studies have shown that people with chronic dry eyes have a higher-than-average rate of depression, this study highlights the link between depression and ore severe eye disease. Researchers discovered that out of 535 persons with dry eye illness, those who tested positive for depression had worse eye symptoms over the course of a year.
The results are based on 535 dry eye patients who took part in a clinical experiment to see if omega-3 fatty acid supplements may help them. The participants completed standard mental health questionnaires at the start, 6 months later, and 12 months later. At one of those time points, anywhere from 13 per cent to 17 per cent of patients tested positive for depression.
Overall, the researchers found a link between depression and more severe eye symptoms, even after accounting for other characteristics such as whether or not the patients had an autoimmune illness. However, more research is required to support the study. While scientists continue to research more, the authors of this particular study think that if a patient has both depression and dry eyes, then both need to be addressed to avoid complications.
One way to address the problem is knowing if you are depressed or not. But before that let's understand the difference between depression and sadness. Yes, they are different.
For many people, it becomes hard to tell if they are sad or depressed while dealing with the ups and downs of their life. The turmoil of life can set you back and in for some disappointment from time to time, but does that mean you are depressed?
While sadness is a common human emotion that almost everyone goes through at least once in their lives. It might be caused by upsetting, difficult, or disappointing experiences that leave us feeling bereft. It's a natural reaction to life's emotional and painful situations. But, after a while when things return to normal or you move on, it fades away.
On the other hand, depression is a long-term mental disorder that affects our thinking, behaviour, and perceptions. You feel unhappy all of the time and about everything when you're depressed. It does not require the existence of any of the triggers to be triggered; it can and does happen without them. So, talk to your doctor to understand the problem you are suffering from.
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