The human body is a wonderful example of phenomenal engineering. Biochemical engineering of course! Every organ and part of the body plays an important role. But there is also the role played by the chemical and hormones that are secreted by the body. One such class of biochemical called neurotransmitters play a vital role in:
- Controlling moods
- Control appetite
- Help in building communication channels between the various brain cells and so on.
There are three main categories of such neurotransmitters and one of them is serotonin. It is said to be a biogenic amine neurotransmitter which takes care of controlling anxiety levels, promoting healthy sleeping habits and controlling one’s appetite as well. Therefore, any imbalance in the production of the same has to be treated with due seriousness.
Symptoms of low serotonin production
When the body fails to produce adequate levels of serotonin, then the individual will show some typical symptoms, physically and emotionally. These physical and psychological disturbances can cause a lot of medical problems too. It would be advised to watch out for symptoms such as:
- An increased feeling of anxiety and depression
- Feeling a sense of worthlessness and persistent sadness
- Drastic changes in appetite
- Feeling of being lethargic
- Mood swings
- Changes in heart beat
- Inability to control aggression and fear
- Increased nervousness about everything in life
Why and how to treat low serotonin symptoms
If left untreated, low serotonin can lead an individual to become highly depressed. This will affect his social and personal behavior and in extreme cases, result in suicidal behavior. Serotonin imbalances may occur due to:
- Lack of proper diet
- Changes in lifestyle
- Increased stress levels
- The body itself not producing enough serotonin and
- Problems in the flow of serotonin to receptor sites
Therefore, it becomes important, perhaps even critical to treat low serotonin symptoms.
Doctors will choose various methods or a combination of methods to treat low serotonin symptoms. Some of these treatment methodologies include:
- Anti depressant medicines such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or SSRIs
- Lifestyle counseling if the symptoms are due to high stress levels
- Medication such as SNRIs or serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors
- Improving nutrition habits to make it important to have a balanced diet everyday
- Including specific components such as protein, carbs and vitamin B6 which will help in producing tryptophan and insulin which result in production of serotonin.
- Experts also suggest that the inclusion of exercise can go a long way in helping increase serotonin levels.
James is a writer and blogger with 5 years experience.
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