By EKalman December 28, 2021 - 5:56am

Depression can be linked to various medical conditions, especially chronic ones. Depression can be a risk factor or an early symptom of another disease in certain situations. In other cases, medical disorders are risk factors or symptoms of depression. If you suspect you have depression, it's critical to get tested so you can get the correct treatment. Depression can worsen if left untreated, and it might exacerbate other health problems.

Learn more about depression and co-occurring health problems to be aware of.

1. Thyroid problems
The thyroid gland is responsible for controlling your body's metabolism. Depression can be caused by both hyperthyroidism (an overactive thyroid) and hypothyroidism (an underactive thyroid). However, low thyroid levels are more common to cause depression. A diagnosis of depression can sometimes occur before the presence of any physical thyroid symptoms. Fortunately, treating thyroid problems is rather simple and can bring your mood back to normal.

Other signs of thyroid disease include hair loss, unexplained weight gain or loss, and extreme fatigue. Consider getting your thyroid tested if you experience any of these symptoms.

2. Diabetes
Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes can lead to the development of depression, while depression can worsen your diabetes symptoms. Diabetes management is a stressful, full-time job that can cause mood swings and depression,and having depression makes it much more difficult to take your medicines, eat correctly, and exercise. Neglecting those good behaviors can worsen your melancholy and your diabetes.

Diabetes and depression may have multiple similar routes, including genetic, hormonal, and immunological origins. Diabetes can also produce small lesions in the brain, which may play a role in sadness.

3. Cancer
When you have cancer, it is normal to feel depressed, angry, or anxious. Clinical depression, on the other hand, is widespread among cancer patients, particularly those with specific kinds of the disease. People with gastrointestinal cancer, most often stomach or pancreatic cancer, are more likely to develop depression, which can often precede the diagnosis.

Some cancer therapies can cause sleep disturbances, nausea, and lack of appetite, all of which can lead to depression. People who are depressed are also more likely to smoke, consume alcohol, and be obese, all of which increase their risk of cancer.

4. Chronic pain
Almost half of the patients who suffer from chronic pain, whether from arthritis, migraine, or back pain, also suffer from depression. The relationship between chronic pain and depression can go both ways: Pain can cause the production of inflammatory markers that are linked to depression, and depression can increase your risk of chronic pain. Pain might sometimes be preceded by depression. For this reason, if you suffer chronic back pain, be sure to visit a spine center and get treatment to prevent the development of depression.

People with fibromyalgia, for example, are three times more likely than the general population to experience depression. Pain, regardless of its source, can be a sign of sadness.

5. Heart disease
People with heart disease are more likely to suffer from mood problems than individuals with healthy hearts. Up to 33% of people who have had a heart attack develop depression. People who are depressed are also at a higher risk of developing heart disease. Depression can also interfere with recovery from heart disease. This happens because depression makes it more difficult to eat well, exercise, take medications and perform other things required to recover from cardiac issues.

6. Multiple sclerosis
Depression is one of the most common symptoms of multiple sclerosis and may arise before the disease appears. It can be a warning sign that something is wrong, and it appears to be a marker that you are at the early MS stage.

When you look back at who gets MS, you'll notice that many of them have depression. MS can cause damage to regions of the brain that regulate mood. Depression can also be caused by hormonal changes and immune system changes that are frequent in MS patients.