Familie Kontoret

Archive for May, 2011

Diabetes and bipolar disorder are co-morbid conditions. This means they often coexist, with many people having both bipolar disorder and diabetes.

Research indicates that this is more than an unfortunate coincidence. Some studies have shown people with bipolar disorder are up to three times more likely to have diabetes than members of the general population.

Also, there is evidence that people with bipolar disorder and diabetes are more likely to face other health challenges such as being more prone to rapid cycling, and more likely to have chronic, as opposed to milder, mood episodes. There may be other negative lifestyle consequences as well. One Canadian study found that 81% of bipolar people with diabetes were receiving disability payments, versus 30% of bipolar patients without diabetes.

In diabetes, because of either a shortage of insulin, or an inability by the body to make use of insulin, sugar and other food can no longer be correctly metabolized and turned into energy. Sugar simply continues to accumulate in the blood, causing a variety of health problems.

The diabetic mood swings resulting from excess sugar and carbohydrates in the body are extremely similar to the mood swings experienced in bipolar disorder. A person with diabetes may seem depressed, or manic, or both.

There is also pre-diabetes, some experts consider America’s largest healthcare epidemic. Also known as Syndrome X or metabolic syndrome, this condition occurs when a person’s blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough for a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes. As of 2009 there are 57 million Americans who have pre-diabetes.

To make matters worse, several of the leading medications used to treat bipolar disorder can cause significant weight gain, insulin resistance, and hyperglycemia.

Diabetes is usually treated by changes in diet and through medication, for example regular injections of insulin.

The most important dietary changes are to opt for foods high in nutrition but low in calories, sugar and fat. As stabilizing blood sugar is so important, it is ideal if you can eat your meals at the same time every day, and consume a healthy proportion of carbohydrates, proteins and fats, with little variation to the ratio from day to day.

Increased physical activity such as the kind of exercise program that also protects against mood swings and depression is also important in both treating and preventing metabolic syndrome and Type 2 diabetes.

Why do diabetes and bipolar co-occur? This question has yet to be answered definitively. However, there are several theories, including the following:

The stress hormone cortisol tends to be elevated in both bipolar patients and diabetics. In particular, very high level levels of cortisol have been observed in people suffering from bipolar depression. Too much cortisol leads to insulin resistance so it is possible that the elevated cortisol in people with bipolar disorder leads to diabetes. People with bipolar disorder often self-medicate with food, including the “comfort foods” high in sugar and saturated fats that contribute to both metabolic syndrome and Type 2 diabetes. All people diagnosed with bipolar disorder should immediately have a comprehensive physical exam to check for the presence of common co-morbid conditions, especially diabetes.

All people diagnosed with bipolar disorder should immediately have a comprehensive physical exam to check for the presence of common co-morbid conditions, especially diabetes.

Genetic diseases are caused by abnormalities in the genes or the chromosomes of an individual person. These diseases are inherited from parents to children. Recessive genetic disorders can develop due to favorable environmental or lifestyle conditions. If we talk of types of genetic diseases, these can be single gene, multifactorial, chromosome abnormality or a mitochondrial inheritance.

Single gene disorder takes place in one gene only when the protein arrangement is missing or altered. Common examples include cystic fibrosis and sickle cell anemia. Single gene genetic disorder is further classified into autosomal recessive and autosomal dominant disorders. Next is the multifactorial inheritance which happens due to mutations in multiple genes coupled with encouragement from favorable environment conditions. Diseases coming under this category are breast cancer, diabetes, obesity, heart diseases and Alzheimer’s disease.

Chromosome abnormality is yet another type where an entire set of chromosomes are missing or altered. Examples are Down’s syndrome, Turner’s syndrome, Huntington’s disease and Williams Syndrome. Mitochondrial inheritance is caused by gene cells present in mitochondria and passed on only be mothers since egg cells are the contributor of mitochondria in an embryo. Genetic disorders in this category are Leber’s hereditary optic atrophy, dementia and strokes.

Some types of genetic disorders are even caused by X-linked and Y-linked chromosomes where the former is passed on by female and the latter by the male counterpart. The dominant types occur with just one mutated copy of the gene while the recessive ones take place due to both the genes mutated.

Kissed anyone lately? Be warned – kissing is not as safe as it used to be. If you suddenly feel itchiness or a mild burning sensation on your lips, become a little feverish or find a mild blister just above the edge of your upper lip after kissing, you may have contacted a cold sore.

What are cold sores and are they communicable?

Cold sores are a strain of herpes simplex virus (HSV) that does look like a blister. It can hit anyone, male or female. It is considered a sexually transmitted disease. But that is not always the case.

Cold sores are highly contagious and can spread easily just by making direct contact with the skin of someone who has them. You can also get cold sores by drinking from the glass of a person who has one, or even just touching the glass and then touching your mouth. You can also get them from using the same knife, fork, or spoon as an infected person, or sharing towels, washcloths, or napkins. The cold core virus can survive on almost anything (including fabric), so it is best to stay away from the personal belongings of someone who has the disease.

Forever there

Once you have contracted cold sores, you literally have them for life. The virus may lie dormant beneath your skin, but it can easily be reactivated.

The biggest trigger in women is stress. Whenever a person is stressed out, the dormant herpes virus becomes active, creating an outbreak. A woman’s menstrual cycle can also spark cold sores, as the rise in hormones in the female body seems to trigger cold sores to reappear. You should also avoid staying for long hours under the sun because excessive sunlight can cause a cold sore outbreak.