Dear Doctor,
Would you please shed some light on bipolar manic disorder? Thank you,
Rajlaxmi Shaha

Dear Ms Shaha,
It is always a good idea to learn more about a disease that affects you or your loved one. Being well informed about a disease is often the first step in conquering it. Getting pamphlets, brochures, posters et cetera, available at your doctor's office can be of some help in this regard. People who have access to computer, the Internet can also be a great source of information. Well-informed patients and their families are supposed to be more compliant to treatment. This also facilitates trust in a doctor-patient relationship.

Everybody experiences natural highs and lows of their mood, however, MDD patients suffer from extreme mood swings. MDD (Manic Depressive Disorder), and Mood Disorder are synonyms for Bipolar Disorder. Mania and depression are two different poles of this group of disorders. It is worth mentioning here that Bipolar Disorder can also occur without a full blown manic attack, Depressive episodes and a hypo manic episode can also constitute a Bipolar Disorder.

Mania is a distinct period of abnormally and persistently elevated, expansive, or irritable mood, lasting at least a week. Talkativeness, rushing of thoughts (mind is always racing), flight of ideas (jumping from topic to topic), grandiosity (inflated self-esteem), overconfidence (takes risky decisions), hyperactivity, spending spree, hyper sexuality et cetera are some of the sign-symptoms of Mania. Manic people may feel that they have extra-ordinary powers (super natural powers) and seem to live on the top of the world! A decreased need for sleep, speaking in high volume, and angry outbursts can be other important signs of mania. Although people suffering from mania may appear to be jolly, funny and friendly, they can be a threat to personal or public safety at any time and often put their reputation at serious risk.

Parents can play a vital role in the treatment of MDD. They should play a supportive role and make sure that the medications are taken regularly. Visit to the doctor at a regular interval is essential for proper monitoring of the progress. Try to remove as much stress as possible from their daily life. Enforce some rules and regulations to ensure safety of all. Be careful about fire, road crossing, sharp weapons (e.g. knives, blades). Try to be patient and calm. Believe that this will pass. Most people eventually recover from a manic episode. They may start having a normal mood or may plunge into depression, which will need to be treated again. Stabilising the mood and maintaining it is the target of this treatment. Don't tease them or punish them for the disease, remember that they are not doing it purposely; the disease is out of their control.

Rise above all kind of stigma around mental illnesses and senseless comments of ignorant people. Getting diagnosed with Bipolar Manic Disorder is not the end of the world; people can still have a fulfilling life provided they take proper care of their disease. This disease doesn't affect intellect, although judgment gets impaired during the active phase of the disease as a result of abnormal mood levels. Patients can continue their intellectual pursuits when the mood stabilizes again. Instead of seeing illness as a curse, see it as a challenge to mobilise all your resources. Set a good example of handling stressful life situations with courage and faith. Last but not the least; take good care of yourself before you take care of your ward.

Dear Doctor,
I am a 22 years old male. I have an unusually large, inflated chest, which is embarrassing and is causing a few problems for me. Can any type of surgery be performed to make the chest area flat? And if yes, will that have any side effects later on? Thank you.
Abdul

Thanks for the mail. I think what you mean by 'large inflated chest' is that your breasts are larger than usual. Believe it or not it is a common problem with young adults aged around 18 and up. The condition is known as Gyneacomastia. This can be treated by Liposuction: the accumulation of fat around the breast area is suctioned out. The surgery is done under general anesthesia and is quiet safe. There is no side effect to the procedure as the fat, which is being removed is unwanted. The patient has to wear a binder over the chest area for a few weeks. The results are very good and satisfying for the patient.

Dear Doctor,
I am a 30-year-old woman. My problem is that I have hairs on my chin area like men and also on my chest area. I cannot wear any clothes that reveal my neck area, as it looks bad. I wax and thread but am getting tired of doing this frequently. Also the skin in those areas has become rough. Is there any procedure that will help me get rid of this problem permanently?

Unwanted hair for females is a very disturbing problem as it affects the appearance of a person. Also, it limits their freedom of wearing clothes as well as their day-to-day movement. This can now be treated by NdYag Lasers. The laser heat converts the male pattern hair into feminine hair. Some of the hair growth stops totally but some hair just becomes thinner and finer. Six to eight sessions at the interval of one month have to be taken. Sometimes it may take more sessions but that is usually very rare, since all the areas can be treated in one session. Please consult with a cosmetic surgeon to find out more details.

Dear Doctor,
I am 25 years old. My problem is that I feel like my nose is blocked most of the time and also there is excessive amount of crust formation in my nose. If I don't clean it regularly a foul odour. It is very troublesome for me as I have to go out a lot and don't have time to clean all the time. Is this a medical condition?

A) Yes, it definitely is. You need to consult an ENT surgeon immediately. The condition is known as Atropic Rhinitis. You need to clean your nose regularly at least 3 times a day. Also, you need to keep it moist and can use glycerine solution. The best option will be to see a doctor and get treatment as advised. In some cases a surgery known as Youngs operation is done to improve the situation.

Dear Doctor,
I am a 40-year-old woman. I know that there are going to be a lot of changes with aging but I feel that some of the changes are happening earlier than they should. The skin of my face has become a bit loose, especially around the jaw. Can anything be done?

In some people signs of aging appears earlier than others; it all depends on the amount of general care you take, as well as on sun exposure and genetics. So taking basic good care of skin is very important. As for your problem, there are quite a few options that you have. There is thread facelift, which is a non-surgical procedure and only takes half an hour to perform. Then there is a proper surgical facelift where the skin is tightened and pulled back, also there is laser facial rejuvenation but I don't think that will be appropriate for you.

Keep the floors clean. The most common reason for people slipping on tile flooring is because there was either dry dirt or a wet spill that sent them flying. Dirt on tile flooring does not provide traction, but rather makes the surface even slicker than the finish. Wet spills can obviously make it easier to slip on an already slick surface. Keep your tile flooring clean to be safer.

Another way to help prevent slips on your tile flooring is to apply a thin layer of resin or wax with your mop. Wax and resin can take all the slick out of your tile flooring without making them look worse for the wear in fact, the effect is one of a very high polish that will make them look better.

Farzana Shakil's Hair and Makeover Salon is announcing its Happy Hour offer, between 10 am 12:30 p.m. everyday, where you can get a 20% discount on all services (conditions apply). So now you can drop in and get that long-overdue haircut or manicure without hurting your wallet.

This special offer comes to you from the Gulshan outlet, located at 1/B, Rd 5, Gulshan 1. You can call in ahead at 8812215 or 8812172.

So go on, get gorgeous…you know you deserve it
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Aarong celebrates Mother’s Day

REMEMBER all the hassle Mom had to go through each and every day of your life in trying to make you the person you are today? Here's your chance to show your appreciation to the most important woman in your life and make her Mother's Day surprise even bigger.

This Mothers Day, buy something special for your mother at Aarong and get a fabulous gift to add to your present absolutely FREE! Get a gift from a choice of chic lipstick cases, pampering herbal hampers, a bedazzling jewellery boxes and photo frames to stylish silk clutches with your purchase of Tk.1000 and above on Mother's Day select product lines. This offer is valid from 9th to 11th May only at Gulshan, Dhanmodi and Chittagong Aarong Outlets.
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Celebrate Mother's Day with Angeleena Collection

ANGELEENA Collection of Pink city, Gulshan, celebrates 'motherhood' this month. In commemorating this special occasion, they are offering a discount on dresses and saris purchased for mothers till 14th May 2008. So, enjoy shopping at Angellena and remember to say a special 'thank you' to your mother!