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Narcolepsy - Narcolepsy symptom, treatment, causes

Narcolepsy is a chronic neurological disorder caused by the brain's inability to regulate sleep-wake cycles normally. Narcolepsy occurs in about 1 of 200,000 people. Some people mistake narcolepsy for depression, seizure disorder, fainting, simple lack of sleep, or other conditions that may cause abnormal sleep patterns. Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is the main symptom and is present in 100% of patients with narcolepsy. Narcolepsy begins (has its onset) usually in teenagers or young adults and affects both sexes equally. The first symptom to appear is EDS, which may remain unrecognized for a long time in that it develops gradually over time. In a typical sleep cycle , we initially enter the early stages of sleep followed by deeper sleep stages and ultimately rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. For people suffering from narcolepsy, REM sleep occurs almost immediately in the sleep cycle as well as periodically during the waking hours. Narcolepsy is not definitively diagnosed in most patients until 10 to 15 years after the first symptoms appear. The cause of narcolepsy remains unknown.  It is likely that narcolepsy involves multiple factors interacting to cause neurological dysfunction and sleep disturbances.

Narcolepsy is a rare sleep disorder characterised by recurrent episodes of falling' asleep during the day. Sleep can last from a few seconds to an hour or more, and sleeping and waking seem to occur for no apparent reason.

Narcolepsy is often associated with CATAPLEXY (sudden loss of muscle tone that causes the sufferer to fall down), sleep paralysis !in which the patient is unable to move for a moment or two before falling asleep and on awakening), and with particularly vivid sound or sight illusion at the onset of sleep. Stimulant drugs are used to treat narcolepsy, antidepressant drugs to treat cataplexy, unless narcolepsy is completely controlled, patients should not drive motor vehicles, operate dangerous machinery, swim unsupervised or work in high places.

Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder that causes uncontrollable sleepiness and frequent daytime sleeping. At various times throughout the day, people with narcolepsy experience fleeting urges to sleep. This sleep disorder is primarily characterized by intermittent, uncontrollable episodes of falling asleep during the daytime. A narcoleptic will most likely experience disturbed nocturnal sleep, confused with insomnia, and disorder of REM or rapid eye movement sleep People with narcolepsy often find it difficult to stay awake for long periods of time, regardless of the circumstances. Narcolepsy can cause serious disruptions in your personal and professional lives. In addition to excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), three other major symptoms frequently characterize narcolepsy cataplexy, or the sudden loss of voluntary muscle tone; vivid hallucinations during sleep onset or upon awakening; and brief episodes of total paralysis at the beginning or end of sleep. Although there's no cure for narcolepsy, medications and lifestyle changes can help you manage the symptoms. And talking to others family, friends, employer, teachers can help you cope better with narcolepsy.

Causes of Narcolepsy

The cause is unknown. Symptoms usually begin in adolescents or young adults without prior illness, and may persist throughout life. Sometimes there is a family history. The common Causes of Narcolepsy :

• Infection.
• Loss of certain brain cells due to brain injury, toxins, and/or the body's destruction of its own tissues (autoimmune reaction).
• Changes in hormones.
• Stress .

Symptoms of Narcolepsy

Some Symptoms of Narcolepsy :

• Excessive sleepiness or sudden muscle weakness
• Difficulty for a young adult to stay awake during classes or work
• Sleep paralysis
• Awake and refreshed feeling after each episode
• Hypnagogic hallucinations
• Hallucinations, visual (sight) or auditory (hearing) may come before sleep, or occur during the sleep episode

Treatment of Narcolepsy

• Sleep hygiene is important. Most patients improve if they maintain a regular sleep schedule, usually 7.5-8 hours of sleep per night.
• Inquiries into depression, family conflict, and other psychosocial problems are also important.
• Undesirable side effects include headache, irritability, nervousness, and gastrointestinal complaints.
• Scheduled naps during the day also may help.