can allergies cause depression and anxiety

Prior to finding a reputable doctor to treat my allergies, I seemed to be plagued with periodic bouts of depression.  I learned that my allergies not only made me feel bad about 75% of the time, my allergies had also resulted in chronic sinusitis and the growth of polyps that blocked my sinuses.  This, in turn, caused my sinus cavities to be inflamed and infected.  My first step was to consult a surgeon for sinus surgery.  After healing, I began a regimen of allergy shots.  Nine months later, I feel better and the bouts of depression are gone.  I believe there is a link between depression and allergies.

This is a very good question.  I too have bouts of the "blues" and mood swings.  When I stay inside and avoid crowds I feel better and my "mood" is better.  Remember we are dealing witha  chronic disease and all that that intails. 

Personally I miss my friends and being more social (which can bring on the "blues") but I know that too much of the outside world (literally) can cause serious problems.

I would be very interested in learning if there is some sort of actual medical link between allergies and depression.

Great question.

I have been fighting allergies and subsequently depression/anxiety for many years.  I have found that when my allergies are really severe and I'm taking a lot of antihistamines that the depression gets exponentially worse.  I asked a nurse- practitioner friend of mine and she said YES, most antihistamines when you have to be on them a lot CAN cause depression and when you step down the dosage/frequency of use of them again it can cause anxiety - almost like coming off a lot of caffeine.  So I have to choose between feeling better physically/worse mentally, emotionally or vice versa ?  Why can't someone find a way to help with the allergies and not blow us all out of the water mentally ?!?  Sounds like you've found a doctor who may be able to help you; hope so ! 

Hi George,

There is not a direct link between the mechanism of allergic disorders, and depression or anxiety. People that have chronic and/or severe allergic problems may sometimes get depressed or anxious because of the poor quality of life associated with protracted or serious illness. Any severe illness may aggravate depression and anxiety in a susceptible individual. Because allergic problems are so common, other disorders may sometimes appear to be caused by them when they occur together.

For many years I've had referrals from other doctors for work-up of migraine headaches and attention deficit disorder (ADD), thinking these illnesses were allergy based because of reports associating them with allergic food and environmental triggers. Research has shown this not to be so in both instances (migraine disorders and ADD have no direct relationship to allergy).

Anxiety and depression may be aggravated by stress and many other factors. Some of these factors are thought to be genetic. Allergy relief may be followed by improvement in these two illnesses when the stress is chiefly caused by symptoms associated with the allergic based problem.

Research on asthma and chronic allergic rhinitis has revealed that anxiety and stress may complicate treatment of these disorders. Medications and counseling specific to anxiety and/or depression may be required to fully manage a patient that has allergy problems in this setting.

I know, it sounds a lot like "chicken vs. the egg" argument. In more simple terms, allergic problems may occasionally be complicated by anxiety or depression. Aggressive treatment of the allergy problems may help to resolve the psychological ones (if the allergic symptoms were the major aggravators). Otherwise more medical assistance will be needed to directly address depression or anxiety.

J. Thompson, MD

I am not a doctor but I too have struggled with anxiety/depression and allergies. In my case I do believe the allergies are the main agitator that cause both. The other thing that needs to be mentioned is that vestibular (inner-ear) problems can disrupt balance and cause vertigo and dizziness thus leading to anxiety/depression. And allergies and sinus problems are major vestibular aggravates. I want to mention a good book written by Dr. Harold Levinson called "Phobia Free" that speaks about all of this.    

I know there is a lot of speculation about the link between allergies and anxiety. Have a look here. Our son who has been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder is worse every spring. He also has tree pollen allergies. The verdict is still out in the medical community but you will likely get improvement if you treat the allergies. We note that the non-drowsy ones don't work for our son - just the old fashioned ones given at night.

http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=2678838