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Spring fever

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Spring fever is any of a number of mood, physical, or behavioral changes which may be experienced coinciding with the onset of spring, particularly restlessness, laziness, and amorousness.[1]

Overview

The term spring fever may refer to an increase in energy, vitality, and sexual appetite, as well as a feeling of restlessness, associated with the end of winter. This concept may have a biological basis.[2] A lift in mood with the arrival of spring, and longer periods of daylight, is often particularly strong in those suffering from seasonal affective disorder (SAD), who experience lows or depression during the winter months.[3] Symptoms of bipolar disorder are also more likely in spring.[4][5]

In the 17th and 18th centuries in Australia, Spring fever or Spring disease described an often fatal condition associated with skin lesions, bleeding gums and lethargy. The disease was later identified as scurvy with a simple cure of dietary fresh vegetables and fruit.[6]

Notes

  1. ^ "Spring fever". Dictionary.com Unabridged. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  2. ^ Nicholson, Christie. "Fact or Fiction?: 'Spring Fever' Is a Real Phenomenon: Scientific American". Sciam.com. Retrieved 2014-01-01.
  3. ^ "Science of Spring Fever". The Times. 2006. Archived from the original on July 27, 2008.
  4. ^ "Bipolar disorder". Healthdirect. Australian Government. September 2020. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
  5. ^ Cho, Chul-Hyun; Lee, Heon-Jeong (16 March 2018). "Why Do Mania and Suicide Occur Most Often in the Spring?". Psychiatry Investigation. pp. 232–234. doi:10.30773/pi.2017.12.20. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  6. ^ "Watch out for spring fever!". Knoxville Pediatric Associates. Retrieved 20 March 2022.