SLEEP DISORDERS

Narcolepsy

I was utterly flabbergasted after seeing the video on Narcolepsy. Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder that consists on sleep attacks at any time of a day. I did not consider it was that severe, but it was worse than I thought.

In the video, a man named Muhammad suffers from this sleep disorder. He has around 60 sleep attacks a day. He literally falls asleep while doing ANY activity. Because he falls down abruptly to the ground, he sometimes wears a helmet to avoid hurting his head.

Presently, there is no cure for this idiosyncratic and terrible disorder. Scientists believe that the lack of a hormone called hypocretin causes Narcolepsy. In addition, people who suffer from Narcolepsy also have Caterplexy, a sudden loss of muscle tone. When Muhammad falls asleep he has no control of his muscles, but he is fully aware of his environment.

According to MEDTV, about 200,000 Americans suffer from it. This makes me realize how fortunate I am. People with Narcolepsy are withdrawn of the world. Any activity, like driving and even washing dishes, can be life-threatening to the victims of this neurological disorder. Furthermore, because narcoleptic people can fall asleep anywhere, even on the streets, people usually think that they are alcoholics.

I personally consider that Narcolepsy is one of the most awful sleep disorders. It can devastate your social and personal life. What is easy to normal people is complicated for the narcoleptic victims. They can easily get hurt and can struggle to be hired for a job or keep a conversation going.

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Photos:

http://richarizard.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/narcolepsy.jpg

http://i.ytimg.com/vi/l2x14qETS7E/1.jpg