With temperatures soaring by the day, the outpatient departments (OPD) of both government and private hospitals have been seeing a surge in cases of mania.

According to doctors, they are receiving nearly five OPD patients every day. “The number of cases increase every time the climate changes. During summers, restlessness increases and patients tend to get hyperactive,” Dr Brahmdeep Sindhu, senior psychiatrist at General hospital, Gurgaon, said.

Mania or summer mania is a state of abnormally elevated or irritable mood, having harmful effects on one’s life. A part of bipolar disorder, mania tends to aggravate during summers due to change in chemical composition of the body.

“There has been a 30% increase in such cases since last month. Exposure to the sun for longer durations leads to an increase in adrenaline content in the body, which makes people hyperactive,” said Dr Rachna Singh, lifestyle expert and psychologist at Artemis Health Sciences.

Another major reason for mania is sleep deprivation. It is most prevalent among teenagers and working professionals, say doctors.

The youth are prone to it because, as it is seen in most cases, they are not able to handle stress, peer pressure or professional demands.

“At an initial stage, mania is episodic and people tend to think that it is a mere mood swing as they are not aware of it. It is only when the moods turn extreme and seasonal (depression in winters and mania in summers) that they approach a doctor,” Sindhu added.