Bizarre: A Young Woman Suffers Rare Disease-Causing Involuntary Sleeping After Laughing
New Delhi: A 24-year-old British woman has been diagnosed with a rare medical condition that causes her to sleep involuntarily after a bout of laughing. Bella Kilmartin from Birmingham has slept off while partying in nightclubs, and even a swimming pool, causing her to almost drown, The Sun reported. Diagnosed with Narcolepsy Bella was diagnosed with the condition, known as narcolepsy, when she was a teenager, after the poll incident. Working as a pharmacist, Bella also suffers from cataplexy, a linked condition where strong emotions-in her case, laughing- cause sudden muscle weakness. "It's more when it is something that I wasn't expecting to be funny. It is more than a little giggle - it'd be something sudden when I wasn't expecting to be laughing. I lose control of all of my muscles, but only when I laugh, she told the newspaper. Bella says she experiences all the symptoms of drowsiness and is aware of things happening around her even when she sleeps. "My knees go weak, and my head droops. Im conscious and aware and able to hear everything that is going on, but I just cant move my body at all. There have been many times that Ive knocked a hot cup of tea over myself but couldnt move my arms to stop the tea going all over me, she said. "I can't control where it happens, so it can be quite scary. I don't mind it happening if I'm somewhere safe, like sitting down. If I'm somewhere unsafe, it's quite scary, Bella added. Life after diagnosis Ever since she has been diagnosed in 2015, Bella started seeing a specialist, who found she had the linked condition cataplexy too. Bella has adapted herself to the condition, which does not have a cure but can be managed with the help of lifestyle changes. She does not drive and totally avoids swimming pools. What is narcolepsy? According to the National Health Services, in narcolepsy, a person is not able to choose when to wake or sleep, as their brain is unable to regulate the snoozing patterns. This results in: Excessive daytime sleepiness and feeling drowsy all the time Having sleep attacks Cataplexy, which is the temporary loss of muscle control Sleep paralysis Night walking According to health experts, narcolepsy does not cause any serious or long-term physical health problems but can have a significant impact on your daily life, and affect you emotionally. What causes narcolepsy? Doctors say narcolepsy is caused by a lack of the brain chemical orexin, or hypocretin which regulates wakefulness. Being an autoimmune disorder, the disorder is caused by the immune system mistakenly attacking the cells that produce it or the receptors that allow it to work. The condition, however, does not explain all cases of narcolepsy, and the exact cause of the problem is often unclear. However, a few possible triggers include: Hormonal changes Psychological stress Infections like swine flu Treatments Even though there is currently no cure for narcolepsy a few lifestyle changes can help, a few of which include: Improving your sleeping habits Taking medicines can help minimise the impact Taking frequent and brief naps evenly spaced throughout the day Maintaining a strict bedtime routine Disclaimer: Tips and suggestions mentioned in the article are for general information purposes only and should not be construed as professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor or a dietician before starting any fitness programme or making any changes to your diet.
Friday, April 21, 2023 at 7:10 am