Narcolepsy is a chronic disease characterized by changes in sleep, in which the person experiences excessive sleepiness during the day and is able to sleep soundly at any time, including during a conversation or even stopped in the middle of traffic.
The causes of narcolepsy are related to the loss of neurons in a region of the brain called the hypothalamus, which produce a substance called hypocretin, which is a neurotransmitter responsible for regulating arousal and wakefulness, which corresponds to alertness, keeping people agreed. With the death of these neurons, there is little or no production of hypocretin, so people can fall asleep easily.
The treatment of narcolepsy should be indicated by the neurologist, and the use of drugs that act directly on the symptoms, controlling the disease, is usually indicated.
Symptoms of narcolepsy
The first and main sign of narcolepsy is excessive sleep during the day. However, as this sign is not specific, the diagnosis is not made, which results in less and less hypocretin, leading to the appearance of other signs and symptoms, such as:
- Periods of intense sleep during the day, when the person can sleep easily anywhere, regardless of the activity they are performing; Muscle weakness, also called cataplexy, in which due to muscle weakness, the person may fall and be unable to speak or move, although conscious. Cataplexy is a specific symptom of narcolepsy, however not all people have it; Hallucinations, which can be auditory or visual; Body paralysis upon waking, in which the person is unable to move for a few minutes. Most of the time, sleep paralysis episodes in narcolepsy last between 1 and 10 minutes; fragmented sleep at night, which does not interfere with the person's total sleep time per day.
The diagnosis of narcolepsy is made by the neurologist and the sleep doctor according to the assessment of the signs and symptoms presented by the person. In addition, tests such as polysomnography and multiple latency tests are performed to study brain activity and sleep episodes. Hypocretin dosage is also indicated in order to verify any relationship with the symptoms and, thus, the diagnosis of narcolepsy can be confirmed.
How the treatment is done
The treatment of narcolepsy must be indicated by the neurologist and can be done with medicines, such as Provigil, Methylphenidate (Ritalin) or Dexedrine, which have the function of stimulating the patients' brains to remain awake.
Some antidepressant remedies, such as Fluoxetine, Sertaline or Protriptyline, can help reduce episodes of cataplexy or hallucination. The Xyrem remedy may also be prescribed for some patients for use at night.
A natural treatment for narcolepsy is to change life habits and eat healthy, avoid heavy meals, schedule a nap after meals, avoid drinking alcoholic beverages or other substances that increase sleep.
