13 Mood Changes That Could Indicate a More Serious Condition

1. Feelings of despair: Heart disease

According to Laurence Gerlis, MB, CEO and founder of Same Day Doctor in the U.K., feelings of despair can be linked to heart disease. He explains that this symptom might be caused by the loss of oxygen in the brain.

And according to the Duke University Health System, women need to be specifically careful as they’re more prone to suffer from heart diseases such as heart attack or stroke.

2. Depression: Parkinson’s disease

According to Laurence Gerlis, depression is linked to Parkinson’s disease, because the same dopamine that causes mood swings when talking about this condition can also cause depression.
As data from the Parkinson’s Foundation shows, patients might experience depression at any stage of the disease. Furthermore, Parkinson’s patients can experience it even before a diagnosis.

In some cases, people even experience depression years before showing other symptoms linked to Parkinson’s disease.

3. Mood swings: Parkinson’s disease

Besides depression, Parkinson’s disease often has symptoms such as mood swings. The same lack of dopamine that causes the depression is also responsible for the mood swings, according to The Parkinson’s Foundation guide.

When there aren’t enough dopamines (a neurotransmitter that makes us feel good) in the brain, it causes mood swings and depression. Mood swings are Parkinson’s disease symptoms of the illness and not a reaction to the treatment.

4. Anxiety: Menopause

According to Jordanna Quinn, DO, medical director at Kore Regenerative Medicine in Colorado, anxiety in middle-age women might be a good indicator for menopause, even if they still have regular menstrual cycles.

She adds that it’s normal for women to experience mood changes and anxiety prior to the onset of the menopause. These mood swings are caused by the changes in hormone levels (estrogen, progesterone) that usually take place before menopause.