Depression in Women

Dr. Samantha Ristimaki, BSc, ND
Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine

samantha ristimaki Women suffer from depression twice as much as their male counterparts.

Life is full of ups and downs but depression can make those lows seem insurmountable. Women often suffer from role strain over conflicting and overwhelming responsibilities in their lives. Social pressures however may not be the only explanation for the higher depression rates: biological differences may play a fundamental role in making women more likely to suffer from the blues.

Your brain chemicals may be taking a beating

1) Premenstrual Changes: PMS affects the majority of women. Of those affects, 25-35% suffer from depression that occurs after ovulation. There is often a drop in serotonin, the mood-regulating hormone a week or two before menstruation. A drop in thyroid hormones during this same time period can also trigger symptoms.

2) The Pill: Oral contraceptives may also trigger depression in the same biochemical way that PMS will. Pills that are higher in progesterone are most likely to have a negative effect.

3) Infertility treatments: As if the stress of seeking fertility care wasn’t enough, treatments that involve gonadotropins can have a significant impact on mood hormones.

4) Hypothyroidism: Women are more likely to suffer from hypothyroidism. The main symptoms associated with it include fatigue, weight gain and depression.

5) Perimenopause and Menopause: Women can start going through perimenopause in their early 40’s and it can last for 10 or more years. The unpredictable fluctuations in reproductive hormones can trigger unexplainable blues.

If depression is suspected, it is important to rule out that it is not caused a side effect of medication such as birth control. Also be sure that thyroid disease is ruled out. Since women tend to suffer from more side effects of antidepressant because of differences in fat composition, it’s important to only resort to medication when it is truly indicated.

Also Published in www.prettysavvy.ca

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PARABEN:
Parabens are a group of chemicals widely used as preservatives in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. These compounds, and their salts, are used primarily for their bacteriocidal and fungicidal properties. They can be found in shampoos, commercial moisturizers, shaving gels, personal lubricants, topical/parenteral pharmaceuticals, spray tanning solution and toothpaste.

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DEA
Diethanolamine, a chemical that is used as a wetting agent in shampoos, lotions, creams and other cosmetics. DEA is used widely because it provides a rich lather in shampoos and keeps a favorable consistency in lotions and creams. DEA by itself is not harmful but while sitting on the stores shelves or in your cabinet at home, DEA can react with other ingredients in the cosmetic formula to form an extremely potent carcinogen called nitrosodiethanolamine (NDEA). NDEA is readily absorbed through the skin and has been linked with stomach, esophagus, liver and bladder cancers.

GLYCERINE
Used for sweetening and preserving food, in the manufacture of cosmetics, perfumes, inks, and certain glues and cements, as a solvent and automobile antifreeze, and in medicine in suppositories and skin emollients. Glycerine in internal products has been linked to yeast infections. Glycerin is a close relative of glucose, otherwise known as sugar.

ALUMINUM SULPHATE
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