Narcolepsy Research
Narcolepsy is a condition in which a person frequently falls asleep suddenly while performing a normal daytime activity. Although the cause is not known, it may be genetic because it is present in families. Narcolepsy does not develop into serious medical complications, but it can be dangerous at times, particularly while driving. The attacks could happen once a day or several times a day. Most happen at times of boring activities such as listening to a long uninteresting speaker or driving for long periods. Although this happens to healthy people, the difference is that a normal person can fight to stay awake, but the person with narcolepsy cannot.
Symptoms of narcolepsy can start early, most commonly in younger adults, and could continue throughout life. There are other serious complications in addition to the inability to avoid falling asleep regardless of how hard one tries try to stay awake. A person afflicted with narcolepsy could become paralyzed while awake by a sudden emotional crisis causing anger or fear. This could also happen from an event of joy or even from a surprise. People with narcolepsy could also have sleep paralysis which is a condition in which the paralysis begins when first falling asleep or upon awakening. A person wants to move but has the feeling it is not possible to do so. Also hallucinations while sleeping happen to some of the people afflicted with narcolepsy. Hallucinations happen to many children while sleeping, but with the person afflicted with narcolepsy the hallucinations are much more intense. Most of these conditions are temporary and only a few have all the symptoms.
People who have narcolepsy symptoms should be examined by a doctor for a definite diagnosis. Sometimes the doctor may not be able to identify the condition and, if so, the person should be sent to a sleep study laboratory for a definite diagnosis. Similar symptoms occur in many other diseases and conditions so an accurate diagnosis must be made. Once the diagnosis is confirmed, under the doctor's direction a person suffering from narcolepsy can be given drugs for relieving many of the conditions.
