If someone told you that narcolepsy sleep disorder affects 200,000 people in the US, the information would leave you cold; however when the same figure is interpreted as one in every 2000 people suffer from a disorder called narcolepsy, you sit up and take notice. But what is narcolepsy sleep disorder? Why does it happen and how can you know its presence?
Such information might interest you if you have a tendency to go off to sleep anytime anywhere. And anywhere here means during meetings, during a phone call, during meals, or even during driving.
Narcolepsy sleep disorder: what is it all about?
Though it may seem so, narcolepsy sleep disorder need not be associated with any mental condition. Affecting nearly 3 million people worldwide, it has its roots in neurological dysfunction. The most identifiable symptom of narcolepsy is excessive daytime sleepiness resulting in the patient taking frequent naps at the most inopportune times and inappropriate places.
Narcolepsy symptoms: signs that foretell
There are four typical manifestations of the disorder, though most patients do not display all of them. But the severity may be such that a patient displays at least two of the four narcolepsy symptoms.
1. One of the most common narcolepsy symptoms is excessive daytime sleepiness. Irrespective of time and place, the patient needs to have recurrent naps.
2. Cataplexy is another symptom of narcolepsy. It means sudden loss of muscle tone. It shows up by way of the patient feeling weak on the knees, hazy vision, etc. Such an attack lasts only for a few minutes during which the individual is likely to drop any object he or she might be holding.
3. The patient could have hallucinations on waking up or while going to sleep.
4. Sleep paralysis is one of the narcolepsy symptoms that make the patient incapable of talking or moving just after waking up.
Narcolepsy sleep disorder: reasons for its onset
1. Paucity of hypocretin – a chemical in the brain is one of the leading causes of narcolepsy. This chemical is responsible for regulating several activities including appetite monitoring and managing sleep-wake cycles.
2. Hereditary is also one of the common causes of narcolepsy.
3. Neurological malfunctioning resulting in disturbed or irregular sleep cycles.
Narcolepsy treatments: options
One of the most distinctive features about narcolepsy treatments is that it is planned on a case-to-case basis, depending on the severity of the condition. It is a difficult condition to treat requiring a prolonged period of time for improvement of symptoms.
With the aim of reducing excessive daytime sleepiness, improving sleep cycles, increasing wakefulness and alleviate the typical narcolepsy symptoms, the commonly used narcolepsy drugs include methylphenidate, racemic – amphetamine, dextroamphetamine, and methamphetamine, or modafinil and armodafinil. Other narcolepsy medications are codeine, selegiline and atomoxetine.
Narcolepsy treatments also include several self-help methods and lifestyle alterations like planning short but regular daytime naps; stress reduction; weight loss through exercising; reducing coffee and alcohol; choosing a job where the working hours match the body’s natural sleep-wake cycles, etc.
Marc MacDonald is an independent health researcher on snoring, sleep apnea, and hypersomnolence, among others. To learn more about this article’s main subject, please visit his Narcolepsy sleep disorder website.
Technorati Tags: conditions, diseases and conditions, diseases and disorders, disorders, general health, Health, Health Conditions, Narcolepsy, Sleep, Sleep Conditions, Sleep Disorder, Sleep Disorders, sleep snoring, Sleeping Disorders
