Bipolar disordercan have a lifelong impact, and symptoms may worsen with age when left untreated.
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How Does Aging Affect Bipolar Disorder?
Bipolar disorder causes mood episodesperiods of altered mood, behavior, and energywhich last from hours to weeks.
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Additionally, medications for people over 60 may be less effective.
Evidence suggests that living with bipolar disorder can impact the brains structure.
What Makes Bipolar Disorder Worse?
A combination of biological, environmental, and genetic factors contribute to bipolar disorder.
Some research suggests that each adverse life event increases the odds of developing bipolar-associated depression by 10%.
Stress
Stresscan trigger depressed or manic mood states and increase the severity of bipolar disorder symptoms.
Stress can also contribute to developing bipolar disorder, alongside genetic and environmental factors.
Poor Sleep
Disruptedsleepis a hallmark of bipolar disorder and contributes to its severity.
Conversely, depressive episodes are marked byhypersomniaexcessive sleep and constant drowsiness.
Sleep loss and interruptions can also trigger bipolar disorder, especially manic episodes.
Researchers found that sleep deprivation is associated with bipolar disorder attacks, especially in those assigned female at birth.
Studies show that SUD can worsen bipolar symptoms and vice versa.
Researchers believe the two may be overlapping disorders or that having one makes you vulnerable to the other.
Reproductive Hormone Shifts
Researchers have found many links between bipolar disorder and changes in female reproductive hormones.
In addition, theres evidence that this can also lead to manic episodes.
Other Medical Conditions
Bipolar disorder has many comorbidities, which can trigger or worsen episodes.
As with those with bipolar overall, comorbid mental health conditions can add to the burden of this disease.
Bipolar Disorder and Life Expectancy
Those with bipolar are more likely to have cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.
As a result, bipolar disorder negatively impacts life span.
If you’ve been diagnosed, seek treatment.
Does Bipolar Treatment Offset Cognitive Decline?
Medications and Cognitive Decline
Healthcare providers prescribe several classes ofmedicationsto treat bipolar manic and depressive episodes.
These include antidepressants,mood stabilizers, and second-generation antipsychotics.
Special Bipolar Treatment Considerations in Older People
Treatments for bipolar disorder depend on the individual case.
Healthcare providers generally take the same approach for everyone with the condition, regardless of age.
Medications and therapy are the mainstays of therapy.
However, healthcare providers take extra care when treating older adults.
For this reason, certain medications may not be suitable for older adults.
This population is also prone to cognitive decline: deficits in attention, memory, and other thinking skills.
Treatments for bipolar disorder include medications and therapy, often in combination.
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