2024 Author: Harry Day | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 15:43
Another name for narcolepsy is Gelineau's disease. As a rule, narcolepsy occurs in young people, more often in men and is 20-40 cases per 100,000 people. The causes of narcolepsy are not completely clear, presumably the disease is associated with a lack of orexin (hypocretin) - a brain hormone that regulates the processes of falling asleep and waking up.
People with narcolepsy often suffer from metabolic disorders (for example, obesity) and changes in the activity of the endocrine glands (most often the thyroid and gonads).
Narcolepsy symptoms
Narcolepsy is characterized by four main symptoms, which can manifest themselves together or separately:
- increased daytime sleepiness and attacks of sudden sudden falling asleep;
- cataplexy (severe attacks of sudden muscle weakness);
- sleep paralysis;
- hallucinations (on falling asleep and on awakening).
The first symptom of narcolepsy is severe daytime sleepiness and bouts of sudden falling asleep during the day. The patient can fall asleep in an absolutely inappropriate place, and the person tries to fight drowsiness, but cannot resist it. Daytime naps are repeated several times during the day and last from a few seconds to several minutes. Falling asleep often occurs while eating. At the beginning of an attack of daytime sleep, speech slows down, then there is a "fall" of the head and a complete loss of consciousness. Such attacks can occur suddenly or after precursors (fleeting weakness, dizziness, headache). Most often, drowsiness is combined with the preservation of motor skills, therefore, a person who has suddenly fallen asleep in a standing position does not fall, and while walking, he can continue to walk, hold objects in his hands. If drowsiness "piled on" not very suddenly, then the patient may have time to sit down or take a position that is safe for sleep. Waking up, a person is full of strength and energy - he "slept" in just a few minutes. However, after 2-4 hours, he again begins to want to sleep badly. Sleep in narcolepsy is superficial and is accompanied by vivid, sometimes nightmarish dreams.
Consider one of the cases described by Peter Haury, an American sleep doctor:
Farmer Robertson, 36, has had three daytime sleep bouts since age 17, each lasting up to 15 minutes. Friends regard his strange behavior as a manifestation of laziness.
But the farmer himself is worried about another feature of his: when he has to get angry with his children, scold them or punish them, he is seized by a strong weakness in his knees, which simply knocks him onto a chair or the floor.
Having turned to a psychotherapist for help, the patient was examined at a sleep clinic, where his daytime sleep was recorded. The survey showed that Robertson falls into a phase of paradoxical sleep directly from wakefulness, which is not normal for healthy people. He was diagnosed with narcolepsy and treated successfully.
Recommendations for Narcolepsy Sufferers
Treatment of this disease should include the correct organization of the wakefulness-sleep regimen: go to bed and get up in the morning, preferably at the same time.
Reusable naps, 20 to 30 minutes each episode, are helpful to provide the level of activity you need.
- You should be careful when performing potentially dangerous actions: driving a car and other vehicles, working with electrical appliances. Plan your day so that someone can be with you at this time.
- Follow the prescribed medication carefully and report any changes in your health to your doctor.
- Ask your doctor to conduct an explanatory conversation with your family members if they underestimate the seriousness of the disease and write off its manifestations as laziness and more. Family support is very important.
- It is not advisable to hide from your employer that you have narcolepsy. The employer will provide the necessary working conditions if you are a valuable worker.
- Getting to know people affected by this disease will provide moral support - find in your city or create a support group for narcoleptics.
- Give special attention to your child if they have narcolepsy. Teachers and trainers should know about this in order to help and protect in difficult or dangerous situations.
An interesting fact: This disease affects not only humans, but also dog breeds such as Labradors, Dachshunds and Dobermans. They show the same symptoms as a person: sudden daytime sleep, cataplexy, etc.
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