Narcolepsy – What it is, Causes and Symptoms

It is possible that people with Narcolepsy spend their entire lives without realizing that they suffer from the disease and are considered by other people and even by themselves as lazy or sleepy. This is because the most expressive symptom of Narcolepsy  is ” laziness ” and excessive daytime sleepiness.

These symptoms of Narcolepsy  put the patient in danger when performing tasks such as driving a motor vehicle, handling dangerous machinery or performing other actions that require concentration of attention and also causes the person to have impaired performance at work and at school. But there are also those patients who suffer sudden and unexpected attacks of sleep in the most unusual situations, for example, inside a collective. Narcolepsy has been known for a long time, but it was only in the 1960s, with the further study of sleep physiology, that it was possible to relate it to changes in sleep phases and to characterize it as a pathology linked to the REM phase of sleep.

Causes of Narcolepsy:  The cause of Narcolepsy is a lack of a brain chemical called hypocretin, which stimulates brain cells and helps promote wakefulness. It is not known why there is a lack of hypocretin in people with Narcolepsy . Some factors that can act together for hypocretin deficiency include:

• Infection.
• Loss of certain brain cells due to injury, toxins, and/or an autoimmune reaction.
• Hormonal changes.
• Stress.

In ten people with Narcolepsy and Cataplexy , one has a close relative with the same symptoms. This suggests that some people may inherit a tendency to develop Narcolepsy .

Symptoms of Narcolepsy: The main symptom of Narcolepsy is daytime drowsiness with sleep attacks. People with Narcolepsy may also have one or more of these symptoms:

• Sudden loss of muscle control and strength while awake (cataplexy).
• Inability to move or speak when falling asleep or waking up (sleep paralysis).
• Vivid dreams when sleeping or waking up (hallucinations).

Treatment of Narcolepsy:  Narcolepsy , due to excessive sleepiness disorder , with irresistible sleep attacks, becomes a disease that causes a series of problems in social and professional life, being essential to follow up with a specialist in sleep medicine , in order to institute the appropriate treatment for Narcolepsy .

The treatment of Narcolepsy includes the use of some medications such as Ritalin and Modafinil to improve excessive daytime sleepiness, the use of some antidepressants such as Fluoxetine and tricyclics to treat cataplexy and also the introduction of some non-drug measures such as scheduled naps. during the day and some individual guidelines established according to the needs of each patient.

How to Prevent Narcolepsy:  There is no way to prevent Narcolepsy , but some measures can alleviate daytime drowsiness:

• Do physical exercises regularly.
• Avoid caffeine consumption in the afternoon and evening.
• Avoid alcoholic beverages, sedatives, and drugs that can promote sleep, such as antihistamines, neuroleptics, and others.
• Take planned naps during the day.
• Adopt regular sleeping habits .
• Eat light meals at regular intervals.