Bipolar disorder
a mental health condition involving marked changes in mood, affects 4.4% of U.S. adults at some point in their lives.
With bipolar disorder, you may experience:
Depressive episodes, or periods when you're "down" or feeling down
Manic or hypomanic episodes, or periods of mood "up" or high
Two types of episodes
In addition to the mood episodes that characterize the condition, you may also notice other symptoms, including changes in sleep patterns and appetite.
About 30 percent of people with bipolar disorder also experience binge eating, which involves eating large amounts of food in a short period of time and often feeling unable to stop eating.
Experts aren't yet sure what makes binge eating so common in people with bipolar disorder, but they suggest a few possible explanations.
People with bipolar disorder are at higher risk for nicotine dependence and other substance use disorders (SUD) than the general population.
Studies have linked smoking with more frequent and severe manic episodes, and with an overall worsening of bipolar disorder. This is in addition to other well-known health risks of smoking, including lung cancer.
Avoiding or quitting smoking may help people with bipolar disorder manage their symptoms, which will benefit their overall health.
We'll review what we know so far about the link between nicotine use and bipolar disorder, potential health risks, and tips for quitting smoking, namely quitting.