![]() These and other concerns are why it's critically important for everyone who suspects they, or someone they love, may be suffering from narcolepsy to see a board-certified sleep physician right away. They will also look into other possible causes for their patients' sleep paralysis, including irregular sleep habits, insomnia, shift work, jet lag, or psychological stress. In order to be certain of their diagnoses and rule out other conditions such as chronic fatigue syndrome, obstructive sleep apea, head traumas, infectious mononucleosis, Guillain-Barre syndrome, hepatitis or atypical pneumonia. On the other hand, narcoleptics usually lose muscle control amid a day marked with sleepiness. Epileptic patients often fall into seizures when they're highly stimulated and are alert during the attack. Often, depressed patients feel the need to sleep all the time, which could be a result of chemical imbalances. The symptoms of narcolepsy sometimes mimic other medical conditions, so it's important you get properly diagnosed by a sleep specialist who can other conditions like depression, epilepsy and side effects from medications such as common cold and allergy remedies. Why It's Important to Obtain a Diagnosis from a Board-Certified Sleep Physician In less than a third of narcolepsy sufferers, hallucinations or sleep paralysis may occur just before nodding off or awakening.Įxcessive daytime sleepiness is the primary symptom of narcolepsy and must be present for at least three months before people can be accurately diagnosed with the disease. These episodes are often caused by strong emotions and may last several seconds or several minutes. Drop things they're holding or lose all control and fall.Experience cataplexy (common symptom in 75% of suffers) - a condition marked by sudden losses of muscle control.Lack energy, experience mental "fogs" or have trouble focusing, and feelings of depression.Suddenly become drowsy amid moments of extreme emotion, such as after laughing, yelling, feeling exhilarated or surprised.These midday naps usually last 30 minutes to an hour. Fall asleep while reading, watching TV or sitting in a meeting.Narcolepsy symptoms range from mild to severe, but 90% of all sufferers have daytime sleepiness and daytime sleep attacks, which may occur even after seemingly "normal" nights' sleep. Since sleepiness is a common symptom for many medical conditions, it is important to distinguish the precise definition of narcolepsy to avoid prescribing the wrong type of medication and further complicating matters. To be diagnosed with narcolepsy, a patient will usually have two of these symptoms (episodes of suddenly falling asleep and loss of muscle control are most common), however 15% of narcoleptics exhibit all four symptoms. Excessive sleepiness during daytime hours.There are four main symptoms of narcolepsy: Others were diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, which are normally treated with potent anti-psychotic drugs that have little impact on narcolepsy. One study found that 40% of narcolepsy sufferers were misdiagnosed - 17% with neurotic disorders and 16% with depression. The symptoms of narcolepsy are often incorrectly diagnosed. Appear hyperactive (this is particularly true for teenagers with narcolepsy) or have extreme difficulty focusing or remembering things.Fall asleep in the middle of an argument or while having sex.Get lost while driving or cause car accidents.Scribble down words about sleepiness during the daytime and crash, head down on the desk, for 30 to 60 minutes at a time.Find themselves "on autopilot" and struggling to regain their control. ![]() ![]() For example it is not uncommon for narcolepsy suffers to. However, the symptoms of narcolepsy can be debilitating for the 50,000 patients diagnosed each year. ![]() As with any medical condition, there are several other medical conditions that may have similar symptoms, making narcolepsy difficult to diagnose at first. This sleep disorder affects both men and women equally, and usually occurs during the teenage years. Some Shocking Observations About Narcolepsy On average, people suffering from uncontrollable sleeping are unfortunately, not diagnosed with narcolepsy within ten years of their first symptoms. Calculating the exact statistics is challenging because so many cases go undiagnosed. The symptoms of narcolepsy affect 50,000 to 2.4 million people in the United States.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |