What is Narcolepsy? (Symptoms and self-diagnosis)
Recently, Hyuna appeared on a radio star and said that her lover, E’Dawn, is suffering from narcolepsy, so interest in her narcolepsy has increased. 기면증 자가진단
If you keep falling asleep in a situation where it is difficult to fall asleep during the day, you should doubt whether it is ‘narcolepsy’. 좋은뉴스
What is Narcolepsy?
There are many sleep disorders. There are snoring, insomnia, hypersomnia, sleep apnea, and narcolepsy. Narcolepsy is a condition in which unbearable drowsiness appears during the day, especially in spite of getting enough sleep at night.
Idiopathic hypersomnia and narcolepsy can be confused with idiopathic hypersomnia, in which you usually sleep for more than 10 hours a day and sleepiness is not relieved even after taking a nap. However, narcolepsy tends to temporarily relieve sleepiness for about 2 hours even with a nap of about 20 minutes.
Cause?
First of all, narcolepsy is known to occur in about 0.02 to 0.18% of adults because it is not a disease that is less common than expected.
The cause of narcolepsy is an abnormality of the autoimmune system and a lack of ‘hypocretin’.
Evidence suggests that more than 85% of patients with narcolepsy are associated with loss of 50,000 to 100,000 hypothalamic neurons with central nervous system hypocretin.
It has been hypothesized that it is most likely due to autoimmune destruction of hypocretin cells, which usually occurs during adolescence.
What are the symptoms?
The four major symptoms of narcolepsy are daytime sleepiness, cataplexy, sleep paralysis, and hallucinations that accompany falling asleep or waking up.
*What is cataplexy here?
Sudden loss of muscle strength triggered by laughter, jokes, or angry emotions.
Narcolepsy self-diagnosis test
The method for self-diagnosis through ESS (Epworth Sleepiness Scale) is as follows. (Please insert the score in □.)
□ I feel drowsy when I sit and read something.
□ I get sleepy while watching TV.
□ I feel sleepy when sitting still in a public place (theatre or conference room).
□ As a passenger, I feel sleepy after riding public transportation for an hour without taking a break.
□ I feel sleepy when I lie down comfortably during the afternoon break.
□ I feel sleepy when sitting and talking to someone.
□ I feel sleepy when sitting quietly after lunch.
□ I feel drowsy while driving in a car and stopped for a few minutes in a traffic jam.
Narcolepsy check result
I am not sleepy at all – 0 I sometimes feel drowsy. – One
Often falls into drowsiness – 2 Often falls into drowsiness. – 3
* If the total score is 11 or higher, the probability of narcolepsy is high
How to test for narcolepsy?
According to the International Classification of Sleep Disorders 3rd Edition (ICSD-3), narcolepsy is diagnosed if the following conditions are met:
1. Narcolepsy with cataplexy (type 1 narcolepsy)
A. Irresistible drowsiness and sleep attacks that occur almost daily for at least 3 months.
B. One or both of the following are satisfied.
1) Cataplexy, average sleep latency within 8 minutes and REM sleep occurring within 15 minutes 2 or more times in repeated sleep latency test
2) The concentration of hypocretin-1 in cerebrospinal fluid is less than 110 pg/mL or less than 1/3 of the normal value
2. Narcolepsy without cataplexy (type 2 narcolepsy)
A. Irresistible drowsiness and sleep attacks that occur almost daily for at least 3 months.
B. In the sleep latency repeat test, average sleep latency was less than 8 minutes and REM sleep occurred within 15 minutes twice or more.
C. No cataplexy.
D. No measured hypocretin concentration in cerebrospinal fluid or cerebrospinal fluid hypocretin-1 concentration greater than 110 pg/mL or greater than 1/3 of the normal value
E. Results of daytime sleepiness or sleep latency repeat tests are not explained by sleep deprivation, obstructive sleep apnea, sleep cycle delay, or the effects of other drugs or substances or withdrawal symptoms.
So, what is the treatment for narcolepsy?
Narcolepsy is a rare and incurable disease for which there is no cure yet. However, if narcolepsy is left untreated and the disease worsens, the risk of accidents such as falling asleep suddenly increases in daily life.
If narcolepsy is diagnosed in time and treated with appropriate medication and behavioral therapy, it is possible to maintain a normal life.
Narcolepsy can be controlled to some extent with drugs that promote dopamine secretion that maintains wakefulness or antidepressants that suppress REM sleep.
How to prevent narcolepsy
It is most important for people with narcolepsy to maintain regular sleep and wake cycles and follow good sleep hygiene.
Taking a 20-minute nap at the most sleepy time of day can keep you feeling refreshed for about 2 hours.
It is recommended to avoid factors that can interfere with sleep, such as drinking alcohol or exercising at night, and to refrain from eating high-carbohydrate-rich meals that can cause drowsiness before driving.