What is Narcolepsy?

What is Narcolepsy?

Narcolepsy, also known as sleeping sickness, is a chronic condition that results in excessive sleepiness and sudden sleep attacks during the day. While the disease can be very difficult to understand in some cases, people with this problem often have difficulty staying awake and may face negative consequences in their daily lives.

What are the Symptoms of Narcolepsy?

The disease has many signs and symptoms. After the development of the disease and the appearance of symptoms, the disease can progress and become severe within a few years. It is also a problem that can affect people for a long time or for life. Symptoms of narcolepsy may vary from person to person.
It can cause problems with focusing or sleepiness during the day. Too much sleepiness during the day is usually the first symptom of the disease. The person has a problem concentrating.
Another symptom of the disease is excessive falling asleep. People with the disease can fall asleep suddenly, regardless of time or place. It is a situation that the person cannot control.
The person may suddenly fall asleep while going about their daily life, at work or while talking to people around them. The person who wakes up afterwards may wake up energized, but may experience the same situation again after a short time.
A different condition of the disease is cataplexy. This condition can lead to many physical differences, including slurred speech and weakening of many muscles in the body.
While the disease is usually triggered by positive emotions such as excitement or a lot of laughter, it can also be triggered by emotions such as fear, surprise or anger. For example, a person who laughs too much may lose control of the neck muscles and the head may suddenly sag. In the same way, there may be a loss of control of the leg muscles and the knees may suddenly bend.
In this disease, which varies from person to person, some people may experience these attacks once or twice a year, while different people may experience this situation much more frequently. Cataplexy is not seen in people and cases who experience this condition.
Another symptom is sleep paralysis. The patient may experience temporary loss of movement or be unable to speak during sleep or when they wake up. It usually lasts for a few seconds or about 1 minute. In this case, the person cannot move the body that he cannot control and is aware of this situation.
Sleep paralysis is similar to partial paralysis that occurs during REM sleep. The immobility that occurs during REM sleep is a condition in which the body protects itself in order not to be affected by the dream and to prevent movement. However, not all individuals who experience this condition have this disease and people without the disease may also experience sleep paralysis attacks.
Differences in the REM sleep period are a different symptom of the disease. This is the period when the person dreams the most. In people with the disease, this can happen at any time of the day and usually 10-15 minutes after sleeping, the person can go into REM sleep.
The disease can cause the person to hallucinate. These hallucinations are also called hypnagogic hallucinations if they occur after the person has fallen asleep.
Hallucinations that occur after waking up are known as hypnopompic hallucinations. These hallucinations can be quite vivid and real for the person because the dreamer may not be fully asleep and may experience a sense of reality.
In rare cases of the disease, disorders such as sleep apnea and restless leg syndrome can be seen.
In some people and cases, they may continue certain behaviors in case of short-term attacks. For example; when a person falls asleep while writing, they may continue writing. Or they may continue walking when they fall asleep while walking. When the person regains consciousness, he/she cannot remember what he/she did and there are negative consequences for the work done.
People who experience this condition should consult a specialist doctor in order to prevent problems that may occur in their daily life and around them.

What are the Types and Causes of Narcolepsy?

There are two types of narcolepsy types. The first of these is known as Narcolepsy Type 1 and the cause of this problem is unknown. In addition, this problem occurs when there is a disruption in the production of the chemical secretion called hypocretin, which has a role in helping to regulate sleep.
Secondly, there are some reviews and studies that show that there is no hypocretin deficiency in Narcolepsy Type 2. It is thought that there are some factors that trigger the disease. These are as follows:

  • Hereditary factors
  • Family history
  • Changing hormones
  • Experiencing stress intensely and continuously

How is narcolepsy diagnosed?

The diagnosis of narcolepsy can only be determined by a specialist doctor. The doctor may perform a number of analyzes and tests deemed necessary after listening to all the patient's complaints and disease history and performing a physical examination depending on this situation. These analyzes and tests are as follows: The diagnostic methods applied in terms of diagnosing and diagnosing the disease can be listed as follows:
Sleep Analysis: The patient may be asked to take some notes and records about the sleep process within a period determined by the doctor. In addition, the symptoms and findings experienced during this period can be evaluated and the disease can be diagnosed.
Polysomnography (PSG): It is the monitoring of the patient's sleep in a sleep center. In the sleep center, sleep can be analyzed with the help of a number of electrodes, tapes, sensors and recording devices. The examinations and evaluations are as follows:

  • Brain waves
  • Eye movements
  • Muscle structure and tone
  • Chest and stomach (abdomen)
  • Heart movements
  • Maintained air conditions inside the mouth and nose
  • The amount of oxygen in the blood

In addition, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, which includes short questions, can be administered to the patient to learn the patient's sleep history in detail. The person answers by scoring this situation consisting of several questions.

What are the Treatment Methods for Narcolepsy?

The priority in the narcolepsy treatment process is to prevent the symptoms that occur and develop and to slow or stop the progression. There is no definitive treatment for the disease and this condition is known as a chronic condition.
Some medical drugs that can be prescribed by the doctor for the negative consequences that the person may encounter in his/her daily life and changes in the person's lifestyle can contribute to the management of symptoms.
There are different types of medication that can be used during the treatment process. These medications can only be prescribed by a specialist doctor and can only be used under supervision. Especially people with different health problems such as blood pressure and diabetes should share these conditions with their doctor before starting treatment and treatment should be applied individually.
Over-the-counter medicines used in some allergy and flu diseases may cause slowing of metabolism. In such cases, the specialist doctor will advise the person not to use these medications.
There are drugs that stimulate the nervous system to keep the person awake and active throughout the day. They are usually used primarily in the treatment of the disease.

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CreatorNP Istanbul Hospital Editorial Board
Updated At05 March 2024
Created At08 December 2022
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