Irritability

What is irritability?

Irritability is defined as feeling easily annoyed, impatient, and touchy. It refers to a low threshold for frustration in response to external stressors.

Some key things to know about irritability:

• It is a common symptom or feature of several medical conditions like depression, anxiety, PTSD, PMS, and more. Irritability is not a diagnosis itself but rather a manifestation of an underlying issue.


• It involves feelings of excessive annoyance, frustration, or anger in response to minor problems. A person experiencing irritability has a "shorter fuse" and less tolerance for stress.


• Frequent irritability, especially when severe, can negatively impact relationships and day-to-day functioning. It may cause problems with communication, work performance, parenting, and more.

Causes

There are many potential causes of increased irritability, including:

• Mental health conditions like depression, anxiety disorders, OCD, bipolar disorder, and others


• Hormonal fluctuations related to menstruation, perimenopause, or thyroid disorders


• Sleep disturbances


• Chronic stress


• Chronic pain or illness


• Medication side effects


• Neurological conditions like dementia

Managing Irritability

If you frequently feel much more short-tempered or easily angered than normal, be sure to talk to your doctor. Finding the root cause is key so proper treatment can help manage irritability symptoms.

In the meantime, lifestyle strategies like getting enough sleep, reducing stress through relaxation techniques, avoiding irritating triggers, and communicating feelings early can help mitigate this symptom. Support from loved ones also makes a difference.

At Hormone Harmony, we specialize in customized hormone therapy to help both men and women struggling with unbalanced hormones leading to irritability and mood instability. Our compassionate providers offer cutting-edge testing and treatments to help patients regain emotional equilibrium from the inside out. Contact us today for a consultation. We're here to listen and help you on your path to wellbeing.