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The World Health Organization is an agency of the United Nations that focuses on the public health of the world at large. Every year on 7 April, WHO celebrate World Health Day to mark the anniversary of the founding of WHO. The purpose of the day is to provide global opportunity to mobilise action around a specific health topic of concern to people all over the world.
The theme of 2017 World Health Day campaign was "depression-lets talk" depression is a common mental disorder, across the world, more than 300 million people of all ages suffer from depression.
Understand all about depression:
"Depression is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. Also called major depressive disorder or clinical depression, it affects how you feel, think and behave and can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems."
Unfortunately, women are more prone to depression than men. A depressive episode can be categorised as mild, moderate, or severe. This is most likely due to changes in hormones that women face at various life stages. These stages include puberty, menstruation, pregnancy and menopause.
Teen girls also suffer from it at a much higher rate than boys do. A study revealed that in South East Asia, every year, thousands of teenagers commit suicide or experience severe depression just after their board exam results, many young boys and girls choose death as an easy escape after a heartbreak and many people just spend the major part of their lives in depression.
There are many causes of depression. Social stigma, monotonous lifestyle, social injustice, workload, severe injury, and family history are some prominent causes of depression. Other causes are major life changes, such as divorce, changing your job, moving home or the death of a loved one.
A research states, "The way you look at life can be a factor in causing depression. Some people are naturally more moody, isolated and negative."
Warning signs of depression:
Following are some common symptoms people with depression experience:
-- A depressed mood during most of the day, particularly in the morning.
-- Feelings of sadness, tearfulness, emptiness or hopelessness.
-- Angry outbursts, irritability or frustration, even over small matters.
-- Loss of energy almost every day.
-- Feelings of worthlessness or guilt almost every day.
-- Impaired concentration, indecisiveness.
-- Inability to sleep or excessive sleeping almost every day.
-- No interest or pleasure in almost all activities nearly every day.
-- Thoughts of suicide.
-- A sense of restlessness or being slowed down.
-- Significant weight loss or weight gain.
Depression and physical health:
Depression is a mental disorder, but it can destroy physical health as well. People with depression often develop many health issues such as obesity, loss of appetite, lack of sleep, diarrhea, constipation etc.
Stresses hormones speed heart rate and make blood vessels tighten, putting your body in a prolonged state of emergency. Over time, this can lead to heart disease. Headaches , back pain, joint pain, muscle aches is common.
Many people with depression cannot sleep well. They wake up too early or cannot fall asleep when they go to bed. Others sleep much more than normal.
Feelings of sadness, frequent crying, sleep disturbances often accompanied by episodes of neurotic eating that leads to obesity. Eating foods that are high in carbohydrates such as chips or pastries may trigger rapid release of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that elevates your mood. Such act could lead to a cycle of overeating to relieve depression.
Foods that triggers
depression:
-- Foods that are grown with heavy pesticide use.
-- Sugary foods that spike blood glucose levels.
-- Fat-free foods loaded with sodium.
-- Dehydration during summer season.
-- Smoking has long been linked with depression.
Ways to reduce depression:
Depression is so highly ignored in our society. People feel ashamed to talk about it. It should be kept in mind that anxiety, panic attacks or stress is curable mood disorders. Lack of awareness, social fears to seek help and unavailability of experts during the time of need highlight the depression symptoms. The best way to come out of it is to be around people who you can talk to and share your troubles with.
Make regular exercise a part of your everyday routine. Just walking a few times a week can encourage the brain to accelerate itself in positive ways. Experts say that moving your body is crucial when it comes to calming the brain and beating anxiety. Some studies have even compared exercise to the effect of medications for depression.
Exposing your skin to the sun to get vitamin D enhances your mood and energy. It is found that some of the receptors in the brain are receptors for vitamin D, which means that vitamin D is acting in some way in the brain. These receptors are found in the areas of the brain that are linked to the development of depression. For this reason, vitamin D has been linked with depression and with other mental health problems.
Foods that fight depression:
Studies have shown that presence of beta caroten in the diet helps to reduce the symptoms of depression. Include carrots, spinach, and sweet potatoes in your diet to get sufficient quantity of beta caroten.
Researchers think polyunsaturated fats found in fish can help you fight depression. One type of these fats, called omega-3 fatty acids, may help brain cells use chemicals that can affect your mood. although a banana cannot effectively treat depression, some of its nutrients can help your body fight against depressive symptoms.
Include foods that contain antioxidants to alleviate mood. Some of the best antioxidant food sources include fruits (berries, pomegranate, grapefruit, and pineapple), legumes (broad beans, soyabeans), vegetables (kale, peppers, spinach and beets), nuts and seeds (pecans, walnuts, sunflower seeds).
Vitamin D-rich foods boost serotonin, a neurotransmitter strongly associated with both depression and anxiety. Fish such as cod, tuna, herring, salmon, mackerel and sardines, and dairy such as eggs, margarine and fortified butters, are all good sources of vitamin D.
Live healthy, live well.