Health
Bipolar Disorder: Know the Symptoms and How to Diagnose?
Overview
Well, to start with, Bipolar disorder is a condition with a mood disorder. Patients suffering from it suffer from extreme mood changes. their mood fluctuates from being very happy or excited about be really sad and depressed at the very next moment. well, not every person suffering from it experience this extreme mod change, in fact, there are certain stages of bipolar disorder which are mentioned below:
- Bipolar I
- Bipolar II
- Rapid cycling
- Cyclomatic Disorder
- Mixed Features
One thing that all those readers who are reading this article and are not suffering from bipolar disorder should note is that if you guys are thinking that these mood swings are just some ups and down, then you are getting a completely wrong idea. the mood swing that a person suffering from bipolar disorder is extreme that the majority of us don’t ever go through in our lives. but fortunately, apart from these mood swings, these people lead a normal life just like any other healthy person would.
About the Mood peaks
In this section, we are going to talk about the mood swings that people with bipolar disorder get. during a mood peak, an excited patient can even spend a lot of money maxing out his bank cards. these mood swings occur in situations like sex, drug intake, alcohol consumption, betting or gambling and more. this emotional outburst can affect the patients very negatively making them lose their jobs, getting them under large debts, and even make them commit self-harm. And this is not all, what follows after these manic episodes are even worse. people go through depression after these manic episodes. the duration of this depression can range from a few hours to days and even months.
Well, as it is mentioned above the severity of manic episode is significantly affected by the stage of your bipolar disorder. some patients only get mild bouts of emotional outburst while others that are in the early phase of disorder don’t even experience any manic episodes.
Does Bipolar disorder run in the family?
yes, bipolar disorder can become a genetic medical problem and unfortunately, researchers are unable to figure out the exact cause of it yet. so, if you are expecting a new member in your family or if someone in your family has bipolar this problem, then there are chances that this problem can be transmitted to you too.
Start Admitting that you are suffering from bipolar disorder
The symptoms of bipolar disorder are hard to recognize in the initial phase but as the intensity of the problem increases the manic bouts can become very extreme. in the initial phases of bipolar disorder, the manic attacks are not harmful to the patients but as it progresses the manic attacks can be harmful to the patient’s life.
One of the bigger problems that come in the diagnosis of bipolar disorder is that often it is misdiagnosed as depression and this poses a problem as the medications for both these problems are different. a common combination of medicines for bipolar disorder patients is of antidepressant and a mood stabilizer. but sometimes doctors prescribe only an anti-depressant which can lead the patient into an extreme manic attack phase. therefore, one important step which is crucial for the treatment of bipolar disorder is to accept the truth that you are suffering from bipolar disorder.
Don’t worry? Bipolar disorder can be treated
Yes, there are various treatments available for bipolar disorder. some of them include medications and therapies. but a combination of both medicines and therapy provides the best result for the patients. making yourself aware of the symptoms of this condition can be very helpful during the treatment. this way your participation in the treatment of your disorder will become active. do whatever you can to learn more about the problems and possible symptoms. maintain a diary, make notes, there are tons of ways by which you can learn a lot about your problem.
another crucial step for the treatment of bipolar disorder is to communicate with people. be open and discuss with people you trust about your condition and collect their feedback and opinions. building a nice support group around yourself will help you in your own treatment.
How does Mood Stabilizers help in treatment?
Mood stabilizers are the most effective medication for the treatment of bipolar disorder. all the spikes that occur during a panic attack are evened out by mood stabilizers and this way your mood is stabilized.
some of the examples of mood stabilizers include Topamax, Lithobid, Lamictal, Tegretol, Depakote, Depakene etc. one of the limitations that doctors face while prescribing a mood stabilizer is that it is difficult to figure the right mood stabilizer for a patient in one go. now one thing to keep in mind is that maintain a strict timetable for the doses of the medications prescribed by your doctor and make sure not to skip a dose or overdose on the pills.
When and what other medicines are prescribed during the treatment?
Well, Mood stabilizers don’t work for every bipolar disorder patient and therefore, a doctor may prescribe some other medications too in addition to the mood stabilizers. tablets like Symbyax is prescribed by the doctors to the patients who are on the recovery phase of their treatment and it helps in stabilizing the occasional manic bouts that might occur during the recovery.
Possible side effects of the medications
well, like any other medicine mood stabilizers also have their side-effects that might be observed by you if you overdose your consumption or consume an expired pill. some of the common side effects of mood stabilizers are drowsiness, weight gain, fatigue and irritation in the stomach. but since the treatment duration of bipolar disorder goes for a long time, therefore, your body gets accustomed to the side-effects and as the time passes, the side-effects cease to be observed. but in case, if you observe intense effects of the side-effects. then contacting your doctor immediately is the best step to be taken.
Dosage instructions for medications
In many cases, the treatment is run for a lifetime to allow the patients to lead their life normally without having to worry about the manic attacks. and as we mentioned above, maintaining a strict regime of taking medicines is one of the crucial measures for the treatment of your disorder. stick to the dosage instructions prescribed by your doctor. if you feel that there is a need for a change in the dosage, consult with your doctor about that first.
Meditation and other therapies
So, until now we discussed the medications that are prescribed for the treatment of bipolar disorder but no discussion about the therapies was made yet. well, therapy is important of the treatment for bipolar disorder. In this section, we are going to talk about the different types of therapies that are available for the treatment of bipolar disorder patients.
- Interpersonal and Social rhythm therapy
interpersonal and Social rhythm therapy sessions are prescribed to the patients for the treatment of disruptions occurring in the biological rhythm. biological rhythm includes processes like sleep triggers and disturbances.
- Family Focused therapy
As the name suggests, family-focused therapy includes your family members and your friends in the treatment. the main objective of this therapy is to help you build a strong support system around you with which you can discuss your improvements and problems.
- Cognitive-Behavior Therapy
Cognitive behavior therapy is done to treat your pessimistic behavior. it helps in getting rid of the negative thoughts that you get when you are depressed. this way cognitive therapy helps in changing your behavior into an optimistic one.
Start communicating with other people like you
You know who is the best person to consult when you suffer from a mental disorder? People who are also suffering from the similar condition, in this case specifically, people who are also suffering from bipolar disorder. communicating with other patients will allow you to gather helpful experiences and feedbacks from alike people. this will also help you in building a support group for yourself which in itself is an effective therapy.
Lifestyle tips that will help you get better results during your treatment
- Avoid alcohol and drug abuse
Alcohol or any drug abuse can be very harmful to you if you are suffering from bipolar disorder. Overconsumption of alcohol will only make your manic attacks even worse. Similar will be the case with drug abuse. So, keeping yourself away from the exposure to both alcohol and smoking will help you in getting better results in your treatment.
- Maintain a regular fitness regime
Maintaining a regular fitness regime is extremely beneficial for any individual. Regular exercise not only keeps your body fit externally but also maintains the internal mineral balance which in turn leads to balanced hormone levels. This avoids sudden spikes in hormones which is responsible for the polar change.
- Knowing what, when and how much to eat
Diet plays a major role in anything that happens in the body. “You eat what you are” is rightly justified because the food that enters the body decides the changes that happen from that point onwards. Making the right choice on what to eat is crucial. Food rich in fats should be avoided and energy source should be mainly carbohydrates and proteins. The meals taken should be rightly balanced and there should be minimal snacking between meals to avoid unnecessary hormonal spikes.
Two United States scientists who unraveled the human micro RNA have won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2024.
Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun won the coveted prize for their work on microRNA as their discoveries help explain how complex life emerged on earth and how the human body is made up of a wide variety of different tissues.
MicroRNAs influence how genes – the instructions for life – are controlled inside organisms, including humans.
Every cell in the human body contains the same raw genetic information, locked in our DNA.
However, despite starting with the identical genetic information, the cells of the human body are wildly different in form and function.
The electrical impulses of nerve cells are distinct from the rhythmic beating of heart cells. The metabolic powerhouse that is a liver cell is distinct to a kidney cell, which filters urea out of the blood.
The light-sensing abilities of cells in the retina are different in skillset to white blood cells that produce antibodies to fight infection.
So much variety can arise from the same starting material because of gene expression.
The US scientists were the first to discover microRNAs and how they exerted control on how genes are expressed differently in different tissues.
The medicine and physiology prize winners are selected by the Nobel Assembly of Sweden’s Karolinska Institute.
They said: “Their groundbreaking discovery revealed a completely new principle of gene regulation that turned out to be essential for multicellular organisms, including humans.
“It is now known that the human genome codes for over 1,000 microRNAs.”
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has begun acting to curb effects of antibiotic pollution.
The new guidance on wastewater and solid waste management for antibiotic manufacturing sheds light on this important but neglected challenge ahead of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) High-Level Meeting on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) taking place on 26 September 2024.
The emergence and spread of AMR caused by antibiotic pollution could undermine the effectiveness of antibiotics globally, including the medicines produced at the manufacturing sites responsible for the pollution.
Despite high antibiotic pollution levels being widely documented, the issue is largely unregulated and quality assurance criteria typically do not address environmental emissions. In addition, once distributed, there is a lack of information provided to consumers on how to dispose of antibiotics when they are not used, for example, when they expire or when a course is finished but there is still antibiotic left over.
“Pharmaceutical waste from antibiotic manufacturing can facilitate the emergence of new drug-resistant bacteria, which can spread globally and threaten our health. Controlling pollution from antibiotic production contributes to keeping these life-saving medicines effective for everyone,” said Dr Yukiko Nakatani, WHO Assistant Director-General for AMR ad interim.
Globally, there is a lack of accessible information on the environmental damage caused by manufacturing of medicines.
“The guidance provides an independent and impartial scientific basis for regulators, procurers, inspectors, and industry themselves to include robust antibiotic pollution control in their standards,” said Dr Maria Neira, Director, Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health, WHO. “Critically, the strong focus on transparency will equip buyers, investors and the general public to make decisions that account for manufacturers’ efforts to control antibiotic pollution.”
In a concerted effort to curb brain drain, the Kebbi State Government has harmonised medical doctors’ salaries to be at par with their colleagues in the federal government’s tertiary health facilities.
Kebbi State Commissioner for Health, Musa Inusa-Isma’il, disclosed this at the handing over of ambulances to the state-owned health facilities at the Ministry of Health in Birnin Kebbi yesterday.
Inusa Isma’il, according to a statement by Ahmed Idris, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, said the essence of the harmonisation was to retain the existing medical doctors and attract more to the services of the state.
According to him, the doctors across the state had already started enjoying the new salaries from August 2024.
He said the release of the vehicles was in fulfilment of Governor Nasir Idris’ promise to uplift health care services in the state.
“His Excellency said I should inform you, the beneficiaries of this gesture, that the vehicle should be strictly used for the intended purpose. It should not be used for anything else.
“If there is no referral case, each of the vehicles must be parked at the hospital by 6 pm. The governor said you should warn your drivers against reckless driving as well as violating the instructions.
“We should also do everything possible to reciprocate the gesture by working according to the terms and conditions attached,” he advised.
The benefiting health facilities included Sir Yahaya Memorial Hospital, Birnin Kebbi; State Teaching Hospital, Kalgo; General Hospital, Argungu; General Hospital, Yauri; General Hospital, Zuru; and General Hospital, Bunza.
In his speech, the permanent secretary of the ministry, Dr Shehu Koko, recalled that the ambulances were handed over to the ministry last Friday by the governor for the onward handover to the benefiting hospitals.
He observed that the ambulances would go a long way in improving the referral system in the state, adding that delays in reaching the secondary and tertiary facilities would be eliminated.
The permanent secretary attributed the high rate of maternal mortality in the country to delays in getting to the health facilities for proper medical care.
“We believe with the provision of these ambulances, part of the gaps we have in our referral system will be addressed, whereby patients who require secondary healthcare could be easily transported to secondary and tertiary health centres, where they can get such help,” he said.
In a goodwill message, Commissioner for Information and Culture Alhaji Yakubu Ahmed expressed gratitude to the governor for the support he has given to the ministry to excel.
While advising the beneficiaries to use the vehicles judiciously, the commissioner advised that services and maintenance of the vehicles must be prompt to derive the maximum benefits from the vehicles.
The commissioner also highlighted some achievements recorded by the government in the last year, including beautification of the state capital, completion of a multimillion-naira ultramodern state secretariat, road construction, construction and renovation of classrooms and upgrading of some health facilities, among others.