Irritability can cause a woman to become easily annoyed with loved ones, friends and acquaintances. It can interfere with her enjoyment of life and it can affect the lives of others. Many of the causes of irritability in women are health related and some women may require professional treatment for their condition.
Depression
Depression is an illness that makes you feel unusually sad, to the point where it can hold you back from conducting your life in a normal way. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, more women than men are expected to be diagnosed with this condition. After giving birth, a woman may feel irritable as a result of changes her body goes through and the long list of things that must be accomplished by a responsible mother. This type of depression is referred to as postpartum depression. A new mother suffering from postpartum depression may need treatment for her condition.
Premenstrual Syndrome
The premenstrual syndrome, called premenstrual dysphoric disorder, or PMDD, can be one cause of irritability in women. Irritability, accompanied by mood changes, often affects women one week prior to the onset of a period. Hormonal fluctuations out of the ordinary may not occur in woman with PMDD, but women who experience hormonal fluctuations associated with PMDD may respond to these fluctuations in an unusual way that can interfere with their ability to function.
Menopause
Menopause causes irritability in some women because the body goes through a change. Periods stop coming after some time and prior to the cessation of menstruation, which marks the point of menopause, women go through perimenopause. Perimenopause causes the body to produce less estrogen and progesterone. These are hormones that can influence a women’s emotional state.
Grave’s Disease
Irritability can be a symptom of Grave's disease. Grave's disease is a condition where the body attacks itself. It is what is called an autoimmune disorder and it influences the thyroid gland in a way that makes this gland produce an excess amount of thyroid hormones. Once this happens, the heart rate speeds up and so does the rate at which the body changes food into usable energy.
Anemia
Anemia is a blood disorder that can cause a woman to become irritable. This disorder manifests when the blood’s red cells decrease in number or when there is an insufficient amount of hemoglobin. Since hemoglobin transports oxygen to every part of the body from the lungs, a lack of hemoglobin will not allow a sufficient amount of oxygen to be delivered, and the body will not be able to function normally. According to Women’s Health, there are over 3 million people in the United States with anemia.
