Manic episodes are like whirlwinds, sweeping people into states of extreme energy, heightened moods, or intense irritability. Though these episodes can seem invigorating or empowering at first, they carry considerable risks and implications. Manic episodes are most often associated with bipolar I disorder, a serious mental health condition that affects mood, behavior, and energy. Knowing the subtleties of mania is crucial for people, caregivers, and healthcare providers.

Bipolar disorder is a life-long commitment to treatment, and determining the right cocktail of therapies often takes a good deal of time. While this is certainly challenging, constant care and support allow patients to have fulfilling lives.

Manic episodes are the main feature of bipolar I disorder; however, people with bipolar II disorder experience less intense mania known as hypomania with depressive episodes. Bipolar disorder is a lifetime condition and thus has to be under continuous treatment.

What is a Manic Episode?

A manic episode, which is also termed mania, is characterized by an abnormally elevated or irritable mood for at least one week, lasting longer than ordinary and accompanied by higher levels of energy. Other symptoms may include impulsive behaviors, increased activity, and decreased need for sleep during the episode. Mania is characterized by the experience of feeling elated or invincible; however, the mood can change to irritability, racing thoughts, and poor judgments.

These are considered symptoms of bipolar I disorder, which is a long-term mental illness characterized by periodic extreme mood shifts. The DSM-5 dictates that the manifestations of mania should cause an interference with everyday life and potentially require hospitalization.

Symptoms of Mania

Mania varies differently from person to person; however, a few common signs are seen below:

• People may have unthinking overconfidence or megalomanic delusions, such as believing they have special abilities or connections to famous people.
• Even though they may sleep only a few hours or not at all, people in a manic state often feel energized and alert.
• Speech may become rapid, loud, or even incoherent, mirroring the speed of their thoughts.
• Clanging—using words because of their sound rather than their meaning—is also possible.
• Mania tends to result in inability to focus on a single task or conversation with an ability to switch rapidly to irrelevant stimuli.
• Individuals engage in several activities or work on multiple projects simultaneously, usually far beyond what can be completed. Hypersexuality and obsessive social contact are common features.

In some cases, actions are performed that are potentially catastrophic in nature, including impulsive spending, dangerous driving, or substance use.

Also Read: Is Elon Musk Struggling With His Mental Health?

What Usually Follows A Manic Episodes

While manic episodes might seem exciting or productive, the consequences are usually severe. The impulsivity and poor judgment of mania can lead to such things as:

- Financial instability due to reckless spending.

- Strained or damaged relationships.

- Job loss or professional setbacks.

- Physical harm from risky behaviors.

This cycle of a manic episode followed by a crash often results in depression, which in turn creates another cycle that continues to disrupt a person's life.

Common Treatment Approaches

Management of bipolar disorder usually involves a combination of medication, therapy, and lifestyle changes:

Medications: Mood stabilizers, atypical antipsychotics, and antidepressants are commonly prescribed.

Psychotherapy: There are different types of therapies, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Interpersonal and Social Rhythm Therapy (IPSRT), which help the patient understand and manage their symptoms.

Lifestyle Changes: Regular exercise, meditation, and mood tracking can support overall mental health.

Managing a Manic Episode

Proactive management of mania involves the recognition of early warning signs and the implementation of coping strategies:

Keeping a journal or using a mood-tracking app can help find patterns and triggers. Involvement of closely knitted family or friends can help keep track of one's symptoms and provide a much-needed external perspective as well as timely intervention. Alcohol and drugs will, without fail, fuel the symptoms and confound treatment. Early communication can circumvent the problem from escalating.

Manic episodes are complex and multifaceted, affecting not only the individual but also their relationships and quality of life. If you or someone you know is experiencing manic symptoms, reaching out to a healthcare professional is an essential first step.

Bipolar Disorder. National Institute of Mental Health. 2020

American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). 2013

First episode mania: We should have intervened earlier. Lancet. 2019

Sleep is a cornerstone of health. When we sleep good, we feel good. However, people often view sleep as expendable, they trade it to work more hours, or spend time with loved ones, or any other recreational activity. While these things are important too, they should not come at the expense of your health as it can lead to other issues you may not be prepared for.

When we go to sleep, we hope to wake up and feel refreshed, as sleep is like a reset button for your body. Media has given us a view of waking up, where the person is happy and energetic as soon as they get out of bed, however that is not entirely right. Everyone feels a little sleepy when they first wake up. It's called sleep inertia, and it's normal. Think of it like your brain needing a few minutes to boot up.

The sleep foundation suggests that you may feel better after 15 to 90 minutes, which is due to sleep inertia. Sleep inertia is the grogginess and disorientation you may feel right after waking up. You may also have had a bad night's sleep, which may cause you to be tired in the morning. However, if you're getting plenty of sleep and still wake up tired every single day, that's different. This kind of tiredness, where you're always dragging, is a sign that something might be wrong. Don't just ignore it. Talk to your doctor to figure out why you're so tired all the time.

Could The Food You Eat Cause You To Wake Up Tired?

Eating spicy food right before bed can cause heartburn. The Cleveland Clinic explains heartburn is like a burning feeling in your chest, and it happens when stomach acid goes back up into your throat. This can make it hard to fall asleep, and if you do fall asleep, it can wake you up. So, if you eat spicy food late at night, you might wake up feeling tired and groggy. Try to avoid eating spicy meals close to bedtime. It's better to eat them earlier in the day so your stomach has time to digest them before you try to sleep.

Eating Sugary Foods

According to 2019 study published in American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, eating sugary foods or drinks before bed can really mess with your sleep. When you eat sugar, your body gets a quick burst of energy. This burst of energy can make it harder to fall asleep because your body is wide awake. Also, if you do fall asleep, the sugar can cause you to wake up during the night. Try to avoid sugary snacks or drinks before bed. Instead, try a light, healthy snack if you're hungry. This will help you sleep better and wake up feeling more rested.

Other Lifestyle Habits That Cause Restless Sleep

Looking at your phone or tablet right before bed can keep you awake. The Cleveland Clinic explains that the bright light from these screens, called blue light, tells your brain it's daytime. This makes it hard to fall asleep. Also, looking at social media can make you feel worried or stressed. If your mind is racing with thoughts, you won't sleep well. Try to turn off your screens at least an hour before bed. Instead, try reading a book or listening to calming music. This will help you relax and fall asleep faster.

Your Mental Health Can Also Be A Reason For Poor Sleep

If you're worrying about things when you're trying to sleep, you won't sleep well. When you're stressed or anxious, your mind keeps going over and over the same thoughts. This makes it hard to relax and fall asleep. If you're having trouble sleeping because of stress, try doing relaxing things before bed. Things like taking a warm bath, meditating, or doing deep breathing exercises can help. If you're still having trouble sleeping, talk to your doctor. They can help you find ways to manage your stress and sleep better.

We have all heard the phrase ‘your eyes are the window to your soul’, while souls may be a stretch, your eyes can reveal a lot about your health, especially your heart health. The primary function of our eyes is to see, so people often wonder why they must go through eye checkups for their heart health.

According to UChicago Medicine, when our blood vessels aren't working right, it can show up in our eyes, especially in the retina. The retina is like a screen inside our eye that shows how our blood is moving. If there's a problem, our eye doctor can see changes that we can't see ourselves. This means that an eye checkup can sometimes find heart problems before they get serious, because our eyes give clues about our overall health.

During an eye exam, doctors look at both the outside and inside of your eyes. They use a special tool to check things like your pupils, the lens, the retina, and the optic nerve. By doing this, they can spot signs of various health issues.

What All Can An Eye Exam Tell?

During the eye exam, your doctor will use tools like ophthalmoscope to take a better look at things like your pupil reflex, lens of your eyes, the optic nerve and the retina. Here are some conditions your eyes can reveal,

Hypertension

High blood pressure can damage the blood vessels in your eyes, leading to problems like bleeding, blurry vision, and even vision loss. Ophthalmologists can see signs of high blood pressure in your eyes, sometimes even before you know you have it. They look at the size of your eye's blood vessels; if they're not the right size, it can be a warning sign. Often, people don't know they have high blood pressure until their eye doctor finds these signs.

Diabetes

Eye exams can also reveal blocked arteries. If doctors see small clumps in your eye's blood vessels, it could mean there's a problem with the arteries that carry blood to your head or heart. Diabetes is another condition that can be spotted through eye exams. High blood sugar can damage the small blood vessels in your eyes, leading to vision problems. Catching diabetes early through an eye exam can help prevent serious complications.

Other Health Issues

Eye exams can also uncover other health problems like arthritis. Inflammatory diseases can cause eye inflammation, leading to pain, redness, and vision loss. Even dry eyes can sometimes be linked to these conditions.

Can Eye Diseases Mean Heart Troubles?

If your Ophthalmologist notices marks left by the dead cells in your eyes known as RIPLs, which are Retinal Ischemic Perivascular Lesions. According to Journal of American Heart Association these are tiny marks on the back of the eye, caused by a lack of blood, can tell us if someone might have heart problems due to poor blood flow.

Sometimes, these marks mean you had an eye stroke, which happens when blood flow to your eye is blocked. If you have many marks, it might mean you have heart problems like high blood pressure or high cholesterol. However, not all marks mean you had an eye stroke. This is why one must make sure to get regular eye check-ups.

In the recent years there have been questions about the potential of ivermectin which is used to treat cancer. These questions have surged, so have the misinformation. This was originally used as an anti-parasitic drug and it gained attention during the COVID-19 pandemic, with claims that it could treat the virus. However, these claims have been debunked by many different scientific studies. The US Food and Drug Administration also notes that no clinical trial data found ivermectin to be effective against COVID-19 in humans. Now, a new wave of discussions suggest that the drug could treat cancer. How true is that? Let's find out.

What Ivermectin Is Actually Approved For?

Ivermectin is a well-established medication that is highly effective—against parasite. It was developed to treat topical parasitic infections and has been widely used for conditions like river blindness and scabies. The drug's significance is treating these diseases was so profound that researchers who studied it won the Nobel Prize in 2015.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved ivermectin tablets for treating specific parasitic infections in humans. It is also available as a lotion to treat lice and as a cream for rosacea. Additionally, veterinarians also use it to prevent and treat parasitic diseases in animals. however, none of these uses include cancer treatments.

The Misinformation Around Ivermectin

Even though there has been a lack of scientific evidence, ivermectin gained popularity as a cancer cure. The influential platforms are to be blamed. There is also a podcast episode which features a well-known actor, Mel Gibson who suggested that the drug helped people recover from Stage 4 cancer. The podcast was called "The Joe Rogan Experience". The episode received millions of views and thus lead to a spike in interest and misinformation surrounding ivermectin's potential benefits.

What added more to the controversy is that lawmakers in multiple states have proposed and even passed legislation that has made it easier to obtain ivermectin without a prescription. While this could seem like a step to expand and extend treatment options, medical experts have pointed that this could lead to misuse of an unproven drug to treat serious conditions like cancer.

What The Science Says About Ivermectin and Cancer?

As of now, there is no solid evidence that ivermectin can cure or even treat cancer in humans. There are some laboratory studies that suggest that ivermectin could kill certain cancer cells under specific condition. This was led by Dr Peter P Lee, the chair of the department of immuno-oncology at the Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope in Duarte, Calif. However, these findings are preliminary and do not indicate that the drug is effective in real-world cancer treatment.

There are studies in human cells that also suggest that ivermectin could trigger immune response that could be beneficial in fighting cancer. Research in mice has shown that while ivermectin does not shrink tumors, it could be combined with existing cancer immunotherapy. Scientists are also trying to explore whether it is at all effective for cancer treatments. However, all these studies are still at their early stages.

Are There Any Risks In Using Ivermectin For Cancer?

Neurological issues: High doses can lead to blurred vision, confusion, and even seizures.

Drug interactions: Ivermectin may interfere with the way the body processes other medications, such as blood thinners, potentially leading to dangerous side effects.

Toxicity risks: Overuse can cause toxicity, leading to central nervous system damage, coma, or even death.

Delaying proven treatments: Perhaps the most dangerous risk is that some patients may forgo or delay effective cancer treatments in favor of an unproven drug, allowing the disease to progress unchecked.