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No one is even-tempered and calm all the time; it's perfectly normal to feel irritable when you are overly tired or frustrated. Nearly any distressing medical condition can also produce irritability as can almost any mental disorder. Often, irritability is a result of the disease process. But there also are diseases in which irritability is a characteristic of the disease itself, rather than a result of it.
Causes of irritability
Alcoholism
Alcohol can produce extreme irritability that can evolve into murderous rages and violence in some people. Anyone who responds to alcohol in this way should avoid it, because even a small amount may produce a reaction.
Allergic reactions
Allergies can produce a wide range of symptoms, varying from itching and tearing eyes to life-threatening asthma or anaphylaxis. Irritability is a common component of these allergies.
Alzheimer's disease
This disease, characterized by progressive loss of mental function, often begins insidiously with symptoms such as increased irritability and forgetfulness. At one time, it was considered an inevitable part of growing old. However, it is now clear that large numbers of people live into their 80's and 90's without experiencing its symptoms.
Anemia
Anemia is a condition in which there are fewer than the normal number of red blood cells, or less than the normal amount of hemoglobin. There are many different kinds of anemia, including nutritional deficiencies of iron, folic acid, and vitamin B 12 (or a lack of the enzyme needed to absorb the latter). Hemolytic anemia occurs when the spleen destroys red blood cells faster than they can be produced. Sickle-cell and Cooley's anemia are both hereditary conditions. All anemias can produce feelings of fatigue and irritability.
Caffeine
Caffeine, one of the main ingredients in coffee, colas, tea, chocolate, and a number
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of other drinks and foods, is a great pick-me-up. But in excess, it can cause irritability, palpitations, tremors, and other symptoms.
Colic
This problem usually occurs in infants, and involves abdominal pain and excessive crying that goes beyond normal fretfulness. The possible causes include overfeeding or underfeeding, intolerance to certain foods, or emotional factors. Colic may also suggest an intestinal obstruction or other illness, but in a large number of cases, there is no identifiable cause.
Drug side effects
A number of medications can produce irritability. Common examples include steroids, hormones, bronchodilators (used to treat asthma), and some of the drugs used to treat high blood pressure.
Hypoglycemia
This is low blood sugar, and it usually occurs among diabetic patients who take insulin. An overdose of insulin can deplete the body of glucose, or blood sugar, and can cause a constellation of symptoms including irritability; mental changes; cold, clammy skin; and — unless reversed — loss of consciousness, and coma. In unusual circumstances, hypoglycemia may occur in nondiabetics — a condition referred to as reactive hypoglycemia.
Menopause
Menopause is the cessation of menstruation, when a woman's body gradually ceases to produce most female hormones. Some women have no symptoms at the onset of menopause, while others
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experience a variety of uncomfortable physical reactions such as hot flushes, sweating, headaches, and palpitations. There may also be mood swings and emotional instability feelings of irritability, crying jags, and periods of depression and anxiety. Many of these symptoms can be relieved by hormone therapy.
Premenstrual syndrome
This condition includes a group of physical or behavioral changes that some women go through before their menstrual periods begin. PMS, as it is commonly called, can produce discomfort in different parts of the body and can also cause unpleasant emotional feelings. The degree of discomfort varies from one woman to another, as do the specific symptoms. Behavioral changes may include depression, irritability, anxiety, tension, mood swings, inability to concentrate, and a change in sex drive.
Advice about irritability
- Temporary episodes of irritability may indicate you are under undue stress or are overly tired and not getting enough rest.
- Try reducing caffeine intake
or avoiding it altogether to relieve irritability and nervousness.
- A regular exercise program and an adequate amount of sleep can go a long way toward reducing irritability.
- If you invariably become irritable during your pre menstrual phase, take special steps to avoid confrontations and situations that are likely to provoke an outburst. Meditation, massage, a warm shower, or exercise are all strategies that may help.
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