Effects of Narcolepsy Over 200,000 Americans suffer from a severe sleep disorder known as Narcolepsy. (rightdiagnosis.com) Narcolepsy is a permanent disease in which one has lost the ability to regulate sleep cycles. By definition, the disease may seem minor and easy to cure. However, there is no cure for Narcolepsy, and many patients report dreadful and even frightening symptoms such as sleep paralysis Patients of Narcolepsy have low levels of Orexin-A, a neurotransmitter in the brain, which promotes appetite, arousal, and wakefulness. Though there is no direct cause of the deficiency of the neuropeptide, scientists have linked the disorder to hereditary and dietary conditions. The effects of Narcolepsy can interfere with daily life, and
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These dream like visions, typically in an unpleasant manner, occur when falling asleep or waking up. In fact, it is proven that one third of narcoleptics experience these hallucinations while falling asleep or awakening (huffingtonpost.com) and report either terrifying images or feelings as a part of the episode. These hallucinations can last anywhere from ten seconds to ten minutes, and bring upon confusion and anxiety. These hallucinations may also spawn negative feelings afterward. One third of narcoleptics have associated anxiety and depression,(huffingtonpost.com) as confusion and disorientation may be very stressful on the psyche. Narcolepsy symptoms usually begin to onset between the ages of 15-30, and are incurable as of today. A narrative posted on talkaboutsleep.com in July of 2013 named Christie’s Story” gives a first hand account of said hallucinations. “Hallucinations happen as you are falling asleep; they tend to be very scary for most. What is so outstanding about them is that they involve our senses, typically the senses of smell, hearing, feeling and even seeing. It has taken me many years to come to grips with these hallucinations. I’ve suffered countless nights of waking terrified, convinced that there was someone in my home who was going to hurt my children or me.” (talkaboutsleep.com) Christie elaborates how frightening these visuals …show more content…
Cataplexy is the sudden loss in muscle tone and strength while experiencing an intense emotion, commonly laughter or sadness. One could be in the middle of enjoying a funny joke and suddenly have an episode of muscle paralysis practically becoming limp. It has been proven that over 75% of people with Narcolepsy experience cataplexy as a symptom. (huffingtonpost.com) These have what is called Narcolepsy type 1. Narcolepsy without experiencing Cataplexy is known as Narcolepsy type 2. These cataplexy attacks can last anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes, and the person may experience slurred speech and impaired vision, but will stay conscious during the attack. Referring back to “Christie’s Story”, Christie explains the struggle of Cataplexy and its sensitivity to emotion. “Cataplexy is defined as the loss of muscle control triggered by a strong emotion. That definition, on its own, is rather confusing. My first cataplexy attack was a “classic” example of this definition. I found my cat on the table licking the butter and went to swat her down. She ran and I ran after her. The next thing I knew, I was face down on the floor; I had indeed lost ALL muscle control in my body due to anger. It was almost a year after that experience before I actually fell to the floor again.” (talkaboutsleep.com). The cause for the sudden collapse in muscle
These dream like visions, typically in an unpleasant manner, occur when falling asleep or waking up. In fact, it is proven that one third of narcoleptics experience these hallucinations while falling asleep or awakening (huffingtonpost.com) and report either terrifying images or feelings as a part of the episode. These hallucinations can last anywhere from ten seconds to ten minutes, and bring upon confusion and anxiety. These hallucinations may also spawn negative feelings afterward. One third of narcoleptics have associated anxiety and depression,(huffingtonpost.com) as confusion and disorientation may be very stressful on the psyche. Narcolepsy symptoms usually begin to onset between the ages of 15-30, and are incurable as of today. A narrative posted on talkaboutsleep.com in July of 2013 named Christie’s Story” gives a first hand account of said hallucinations. “Hallucinations happen as you are falling asleep; they tend to be very scary for most. What is so outstanding about them is that they involve our senses, typically the senses of smell, hearing, feeling and even seeing. It has taken me many years to come to grips with these hallucinations. I’ve suffered countless nights of waking terrified, convinced that there was someone in my home who was going to hurt my children or me.” (talkaboutsleep.com) Christie elaborates how frightening these visuals …show more content…
Cataplexy is the sudden loss in muscle tone and strength while experiencing an intense emotion, commonly laughter or sadness. One could be in the middle of enjoying a funny joke and suddenly have an episode of muscle paralysis practically becoming limp. It has been proven that over 75% of people with Narcolepsy experience cataplexy as a symptom. (huffingtonpost.com) These have what is called Narcolepsy type 1. Narcolepsy without experiencing Cataplexy is known as Narcolepsy type 2. These cataplexy attacks can last anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes, and the person may experience slurred speech and impaired vision, but will stay conscious during the attack. Referring back to “Christie’s Story”, Christie explains the struggle of Cataplexy and its sensitivity to emotion. “Cataplexy is defined as the loss of muscle control triggered by a strong emotion. That definition, on its own, is rather confusing. My first cataplexy attack was a “classic” example of this definition. I found my cat on the table licking the butter and went to swat her down. She ran and I ran after her. The next thing I knew, I was face down on the floor; I had indeed lost ALL muscle control in my body due to anger. It was almost a year after that experience before I actually fell to the floor again.” (talkaboutsleep.com). The cause for the sudden collapse in muscle