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Blog Post #2

Maya Bottiglieri 

Blog Post #2

Bipolar Disorder:

Bipolar disorder is both a behavior and brain disorder consisting of pronounced swings of mood and energy. This causes life to be hard to operate and navigate through life. It is also known as a manic-depressive illness in which 5.7 million Americans above the age of 18 are affected yearly. Bipolar disorder tends to begin during the late adolescence period into early adulthood. However, children and elderly are often diagnosed with this illness. Typically, people live with Bipolar disorder without receiving a proper diagnosis and treatment. The symptoms cause high mania or low depressive episodes that are broken up by normal moods. This illness is diagnosed by doctors using guidelines from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM.) With conclusions from family history and course of illness, doctors can diagnose based on symptoms. There are four different types of Bipolar disorder which are diagnosed based on the sequence and intensity of the manic and depressed episodes. 

One of my best friends has recently found out that her mother has been diagnosed with Bipolar disorder. Mrs. Smith was always a cheerful and kind woman who would host all gatherings and special occasions. During her senior year of high school Kacy started to notice her mother have subtle changes in her behavior. Mrs. Smith’s moods became erratic—she would be overjoyed one moment and then depressed the next. Her energy levels fluctuated dramatically, and she battled to sleep at night. Tasks that had once brought her joy now seemed onerous, and she withdrew from social activities she had previously enjoyed. With this change Kacy did research on several mental disorders that would answer her many questions. Bipolar disorder stood out to her and when she attended a regular check-up with her mother, she confided in the doctor to attempt a diagnosis based on the symptoms. Mrs. Smith was soon officially aware of her behavior change and began treatment. She was prescribed medication and attended therapy. Mrs. Smith’s story highlights the possibility of going through life being undiagnosed until later in life. 

 

Works Cited:

“Frequently Asked Questions about Bipolar Disorder.” Frequently Asked Questions about Bipolar Disorder | Brain & Behavior Research Foundation, 30 June 2023, bbrfoundation.org/faq/frequently-asked-questions-about-bipolar-disorder?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwiMmwBhDmARIsABeQ7xQwXmIulimqyU_syUvBJVud0VPvBguv0wkU2iKoG2wI1t5Bqujkr0MaAogIEALw_wcB. 

 

Blog Post #1

Color Blindness:

If you suffer from color blindness, it is known as a color vision deficiency. In more simple terms this deficiency causes colors to be viewed differently, or distinguishing the difference. According to the National Eye Institute, the most common color deficiency causes trouble telling the difference between red and green, and blue and yellow. It is very rare for a person to lose all color vision. Some symptoms might include an effect of the brightness or shape of color. Typically, this defect is genetically inherited, where women have a high risk rate. However, color blindness can be caused from an injury to the brain, retina, or optic nerve.  Moreover, the diagnosis included a Color Vision test in which your eye doctor will present a variety of color dots in a circle. Within the circle there is a shape that is hard to see if you have this deficiency. 

For most types of color vision issues, there is little to no treatment. However, if there is an underlying eye disease or medicine induced conditions, color vision can be improved. A very common fix consists of colored filtered glasses. These are worn to help contrast hues and color perception. This does not improve the appearance of color nor cure this deficiency. With more studies being conducted, a few rare retinal illnesses regarding color blindness may be treatable. This would include a gene replacement procedure to modify this inherited defect gene. A few lifestyle changes that can be used for everyday use include, color object labeling and memorization of individual colors.  

Recently, I discovered that my grandfather suffers from color blindness. Ironically, so did he after finally admitting that Christmas colors were hard for him to distinguish between red and green. He was then tested by his eye doctor where he could not see the variety of numbers and shapes presented in the color dot test. He has suffered from color blindness for most of his life without realizing the impact it has caused. The season fall specifically, has a variety of red and green hues from the change in leaves and grass. After discovering his diagnosis, my grandfather sorted through family history, realizing that this gene has been passed down from his mother. She too had trouble distinguishing similar color hues, however during her time color blindness research was minimal and uncommon. Since being aware of his defect, my Poppop has begun to practice color flashcards and has invested in the Enchroma Glasses. These glasses are proven to stimulate the brain’s color vision center and will hopefully show improvement within the next few months of this treatment. 

 

Works Cited:

“Color Blindness.” National Eye Institute, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/eye-conditions-and-diseases/color-blindness#:~:text=What%20is%20color%20blindness%3F,vision%20deficiency%20runs%20in%20families. Accessed 17 Mar. 2024. 

“Color Blindness.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 28 Dec. 2019, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/poor-color-vision/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20354991. 

Perniskie, Sam. “What Is Color Blindness and How Does Technology Help?” ViewSonic Library, 23 Feb. 2022, www.viewsonic.com/library/tech/what-is-color-blindness-and-how-does-technology-help/.