What Is Anxiety?
Anxiety is a feeling of unease, concern, and nervousness. We all experience this feeling at various points in our lives, and it can become quite crippling. This is especially true for those who suffer from an anxiety disorder. While it is reasonable to feel anxious sometimes, feeling this way constantly can cause long-term damage to your health (i.e., hypertension). Over time, blood pressure will rise, and it will become vital to manage and keep it under control in order to prevent significant health issues.
Environmental factors such as stress from work or relationships, traumatic events, and a shortage of oxygen can all cause anxiety disorders. Internally, genetics and brain chemistry can also trigger anxious feelings. Many of these factors are out of our control, but there are treatments that can reduce your anxiety and save you from further health complications down the road.
What Is Depression?
If you’ve been feeling low and have lost interest in normal activities and relationships for at least two weeks, you may suffer from depression. You could be depressed for a number of reasons: heredity, an incident that created a chemical imbalance, hormonal fluctuations due to menopause, or something else entirely. Nutrition plays an important role in the management of depression, therefore a balanced microbiome is key to avoiding depression.
How Can Drs. De Castro and Basit Help Me?
Drs. De Castro and Basit can prescribe medication that can help control depression and anxiety. Anti-depressants are the most common recommendation for the prevention of anxiety and depression. These medications give your brain better access to serotonin, a neurotransmitter that helps maintain mood.
Benzodiazepines are used to treat acute anxiety and work by depressing the nervous system, resulting in a calming effect. This class of drugs has drawbacks, however, including a heightened risk of drug dependence, so they are generally recommended for short-term use only.
There are several other medications to choose from, including beta-blockers and antihistamines, and each come with a distinct set of pros and cons. You might need to try several at varying doses before finding the option that works best for you. Drs. De Castro and Basit can help you find the right option.
Request an appointment In Hanford, California
If you would like help in mitigating your anxiety and depression, request an appointment with Drs. De Castro and Basit today. Call (559) 582-9100 or fill out our appointment request form below to get started.
