What is Narcolepsy?

Narcolepsy is a disorder that leads to sessions of sleepiness in the daytime. It is a serious disorder, because all of a sudden the patient may fall asleep during the day. This can take place even while the patient is eating, talking or doing any routine activity.

Narcolepsy is the main cause for muscle weakness. There might be muscle weakness in some parts of the body or the entire body. Such a condition is called as cataplexy. Narcolepsy leads to hallucinations, which means getting dreams while sleeping. The patients of narcolepsy also face sleep paralysis. During this condition the patient faces inability to move or speak for sometime.

Hypocretin is a chemical in the brain that controls us while we are awake. But the patients of narcolepsy are short of this chemical. Studies are still in the developing stage to find out the exact causes of diminish of hypocretin. According to the available data, around 2.4 people in America suffer from this disorder. The symptoms of this disorder mainly begin from the teenage itself. And as days pass the condition becomes severe. Narcolepsy basically has no cure. But use of medicines, certain modifications in lifestyle and certain therapies can give some amount of relief. The long run effects of this disorder are very dangerous. It is therefore prudent to seek treatment as fast as possible.