Narcolepsy: causes, symptoms, treatment and prevention

Hey guys, How are you I hope you guys are fine ☺....!

Today I brought  you a disease chapter .

Definition-•● 

                     Narcolepsy is a chronic sleep disorder characterized by overwhelming daytime drowsiness and sudden attacks of 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 daily routine.

Sometimes, narcolepsy can be accompanied by a sudden loss of muscle tone (cataplexy) that leads to weakness and loss of muscle control. Cataplexy is often triggered by a strong emotion, most commonly laughter.

Rare

Fewer than 1 million cases per year (India)

Treatment can help, but this condition can't be cured

Chronic: can last for years or be lifelong

Requires a medical diagnosis

Lab tests or imaging often required

• 

Epidemiology .-  

• Narcolepsy is not a rare condition, but it is frequently misdiagnosed and not as well understood as many similarly prevalent disorders. It affects approximately 1 in every 2,000 people worldwide and there are as many as 200,000 cases in the United States. Only a quarter of these have been diagnosed, and it is not uncommon for six to eight years to pass before a proper diagnosis is made.

• The disorder affects men and women equally. There are an estimated 3 million cases around the world. Certain countries have a higher occurrence of cases, like Japan, where it is as common as 1 in 500. Other countries, like Israel, have a very low number of cases.
• Narcolepsy can develop later in life or in childhood but the majority of cases begin to show symptoms between the ages of 11 and 17. Children have been diagnosed as early as age 3.

                  

Types●-

There are two types of narcolepsy:

         ●▪•1-Narcolepsy with cataplexy-

This type of narcolepsy involves a combination of excessive daytime sleepiness and cataplexy. Cataplexy is when you have attacks that cause a sudden loss of muscle tone while you are awake. It may lead to slurred speech and buckling knees, or in more severe cases complete paralysis. These events are usually triggered by strong emotions such as joy, surprise, laughter or anger.

  

●●•■-2 Narcolepsy without cataplexy:

    This type of narcolepsy occurs when you have continuous excessive sleepiness but no cataplexy. You may take a nap for a couple of hours and wake up feeling refreshed. But after a short time, you feel tired again.

■●•-Risk factors

 Epidural Hematoma-

                     An epidural hematoma happens when a mass of blood forms between your skull and brain. Learn how to prevent and treat this life-threatening condition.

●■•Head Injury-

 A head injury is an injury to your brain, skull, or scalp. All head injuries should be treated seriously and assessed by a doctor.

●○•Obesity-

              Obesity is an epidemic in the U.S. This condition puts people at a higher risk for serious diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.

Causes-

• The exact cause of narcolepsy is unknown. There may be many causes. Most people with narcolepsy have low levels of the chemical hypocretin (hi-poe-KREE-tin). Hypocretin is an important neurochemical in your brain that helps regulate wakefulness and REM sleep.
• Hypocretin levels are particularly low in those who experience cataplexy. Exactly what causes the loss of hypocretin-producing cells in the brain isn’t known, but experts suspect it’s due to an autoimmune reaction.
• Research indicates a possible association with exposure to the H1N1 virus (swine flu) and a certain form of H1N1 vaccine that’s currently administered in Europe. It’s not yet known if the virus directly triggers narcolepsy or whether exposure to the virus increases the likelihood that someone will have narcolepsy.

In some cases, genetics may play a role.

Symptoms-

Symptoms of narcolepsy include:

●•- Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS):- In general, EDS interferes with normal activities on a daily basis, whether or not a person with narcolepsy has sufficient sleep at night. People with EDS report mental cloudiness, a lack of energy and concentration, memory lapses, a depressed mood, and/or extreme exhaustion.

●○•-Cataplexy-This symptom consists of a sudden loss of muscle tone that leads to feelings of weakness and a loss of voluntary muscle control. It can cause symptoms ranging from slurred speech to total body collapse, depending on the muscles involved, and is often triggered by intense emotions such as surprise, laughter, or anger.

●○•-Hallucinations-Usually, these delusional experiences are vivid and frequently frightening. The content is primarily visual, but any of the other senses can be involved. These are called hypnagogic hallucinations when accompanying sleep onset and hypnopompic hallucinations when they occur during awakening.

■●○-Hallucinations-Usually, these delusional experiences are vivid and frequently frightening. The content is primarily visual, but any of the other senses can be involved. These are called hypnagogic hallucinations when accompanying sleep onset and hypnopompic hallucinations when they occur during awakening.

¤▪■Sleep paralysis-This symptom involves the temporary inability to move or speak while falling asleep or waking up. These episodes are generally brief, lasting a few seconds to several minutes. After episodes end, people rapidly recover their full capacity to move and speak.

♡◇●Prevention-There are no guidelines for preventing narcolepsy itself. However, you can try to prevent symptoms.

Avoid activities that carry a risk of injury from a sudden sleep attack, such as:

• Driving
• Climbing ladders
• Using dangerous machinery
• Exercise on a regular basis.
• Get adequate sleep at night.                              

• Lifestyle and Home Remedies-

• 1Take several short naps a day: (10-15 
• Keep a consistent sleep schedule:
• Avoid caffeine and alcoholic beverages
• Get regular exercise
• Try a relaxing routine just before bedtime
• Talk to others about your condition