Irritability is a change in behavior. It can occur suddenly or over a period of time. Irritability usually means that somehow the person has experienced an influence that causes him to behave in such a way that he feels annoyed. Irritability affects people of all ages, including infants when they do not feel well, MedlinePlus indicates. Adults appear impatient when they feel irritable about something that has occurred or influenced them in their lives.
Medications
Medications may cause irritability. If a medication affects a person's central nervous system, she could become irritable. Changes in doses can cause a person to become irritable. If a medication has withdrawal effects, a person also may become irritable. Sometimes, side effects of different medications can cause irritability, too.
Alcohol Withdrawal
Alcohol withdrawal has its own state of irritability, the American Association of Retired Persons indicates. When a person withdraws from alcohol, the central nervous system becomes affected and things such as bright lights, noise, smells and changes in temperature can affect the person. The absence of the alcohol also can induce a general malaise or feeling of illness that can induce irritability.
Diabetes
Diabetes can cause mood swings depending upon the level of glucose in the blood, the American Association of Retired Persons states. These fluctuations in blood sugar, which occur because of the body's continual fight to regulate its blood sugar, may cause happiness or exuberance, as well as negativity and irritability. The central nervous system also can become affected and the mood swings become significant when changes in diabetic medication occur.
Sleeping Difficulties
When a person suffers from insomnia or the inability to sleep, the person also suffers from sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation causes a person to become irritable and the person can become psychotic, meaning he can see or hear things which are not there, the American Association of Retired Persons reports.
Illness
Illness itself can make someone feel irritable or impatient with normal, everyday occurrences. Usually the body's defense against illness causes the person to feel a state of malaise. This can induce irritability and tiredness, the American Association of Retired Persons states.
Pain
Pain can cause someone to have less tolerance for other people and circumstance, leading to irritability. Anyone who has suffered from a simple toothache knows the feeling of irritability. Headaches also can cause a person to feel irritable. People who suffer from back problems experience severe pain, which also causes irritability, the American Association of Retired Persons indicates.
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