Irritability: Symptoms

What other symptoms might occur with irritability?

Irritability may accompany other symptoms that vary depending on the underlying disease, disorder or condition. Symptoms that frequently affect behaviors may also involve other body systems.

Psychological and cognitive symptoms that may occur along with irritability

Irritability may accompany other psychological or cognitive symptoms including:

• Anxiety, aggression or agitation
• Confusion, forgetfulness or disconnectedness
• Delusions or hallucinations
• Difficulty with memory, thinking, talking, comprehension, writing or reading
• Heightened arousal or awareness
• Mood depression or elevation
• Mood instability
• Personality changes
• Poor judgment
• Social withdrawal

Other symptoms that may occur along with irritability

Irritability may accompany symptoms related to other body systems including:

• Appetite or weight changes
• Enlarged liver and glands, such as the spleen and lymph nodes
• Flu-like symptoms (fatigue, fever, sore throat, headache, cough, aches, and pains)
• Impaired balance and coordination
• Incontinence, weakness, or sensory changes
• Muscle twitching, spasms or seizures
• Nausea with or without vomiting
• Sleep difficulties
• Swallowing difficulties

Serious symptoms that might indicate a life-threatening condition

In some cases, irritability may be a symptom of a life-threatening condition that should be immediately evaluated in an emergency setting. Seek immediate medical care (call 911) if you, or someone you are with, have any of these life-threatening symptoms including:

• Being a danger to yourself or others, including threatening, irrational, or suicidal behavior
• Change in mental status or sudden behavior change, such as confusion, delirium, lethargy, hallucinations and delusions
• High fever (higher than 101 degrees Fahrenheit)
• Respiratory or breathing problems, such as shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, labored breathing, slow breathing, not breathing, choking
• Seizure
• Severe pain
• Trauma, such as bone deformity, burns, eye injuries, and other injuries