Narcolepsy is a chronic sleep disorder that causes strong daytime drowsiness and sudden periods of sleep. If you have narcolepsy, it may be hard to stay awake for long periods of time. This disorder often causes serious problems for people trying to maintain a regular daytime schedule.
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There is no known cure for narcolepsy, but doctors can prescribe medications that have proven helpful for some patients. Some simple lifestyle changes can also be beneficial, as can some over-the-counter remedies based on traditional medicines.
Narcolepsy Symptoms Quiz: Are You Narcoleptic? is an original (Health11News) article.
Take the narcolepsy symptoms quiz
The first step toward dealing with narcolepsy is to learn more about the disorder and determine if your symptoms match the signs of narcolepsy. Here are five questions that can help you distinguish between a chronic condition and simple exhaustion – but remember, no simple quiz can take the place of a full medical examination to make a definitive diagnosis.
Question 1. Have you ever fallen asleep without warning during routine daily activities?
Question 2. Have you ever suffered a sudden loss of muscle tone?
Question 3. Have you ever experienced sleep paralysis?
Question 4. Have you ever hallucinated just before falling asleep or shortly after waking up?
Question 5. Do you have other sleep disorders?
The narcolepsy symptoms quiz – answers and explanations to distinguish between drowsiness and narcolepsy
Question 1. Excessive daytime sleepiness is usually the first symptom of narcolepsy. It is also the most disruptive because it has been described as a “sleep attack” in which an overwhelming sense of sleepiness comes on quickly. The unpredictability of these attacks disrupts your schedule and makes it hard – or impossible – to carry out your daily responsibilities.
Question 2. This sudden loss of muscle tone is known as cataplexy, and it is often a sign of narcolepsy. In about 10 percent of narcolepsy cases, cataplexy is the first symptom to appear and can be mistaken for a seizure disorder. Attacks may be mild and brief, but they can cause slurred speech and complete weakness of most muscles. Narcolepsy that includes cataplexy is called type 1; narcolepsy without cataplexy is known as type 2.
Question 3. Sleep paralysis is the temporary inability to speak or move while falling asleep or upon waking. You may or may not be able to remember these episodes after they happen. While sleep paralysis may be a sign of narcolepsy, it can occur in people who don’t have the disease.
Question 4. Seeing and hearing things that aren’t there when falling asleep or waking up is called a hypnagogic hallucination, and it can be very vivid and scary. These hallucinations are sometimes experienced by people with narcolepsy, but they can also be associated with other conditions.
Question 5. Narcolepsy is sometimes linked with other disorders such as sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome and insomnia or fragmented sleep. While all of these conditions exist in some people who do not have narcolepsy, they may be connected with the disease in other patients.
What causes narcolepsy?
The exact cause of narcolepsy remains a mystery. One clue may be found in the difference between patients with type 1 narcolepsy (which includes cataplexy) and those with type 2. People in the first category tend to have low amounts of hypocretin, a neurochemical that helps regulate wakefulness and REM sleep.
Some researchers have speculated that genetics are involved with the conditions revealed in the narcolepsy symptoms quiz, but the chance of a person with the disease passing it on to a child is only 1 percent. Other researchers are looking for a link between swine flu and narcolepsy, but no definitive relationship has yet been proven.
Who is at risk of developing narcolepsy?
Researchers estimate that as many as 200,000 people in the U.S. suffer from narcolepsy. The typical patient starts to show some signs listed in the narcolepsy symptoms quiz between the ages of 10 and 30. People who have at least one family member with narcolepsy have as much as a 40 percent higher chance of developing it than someone without such a relative. Narcolepsy affects both males and females equally.
What should I do if I’m diagnosed with narcolepsy?
Doctors often treat narcoleptic patients with prescription medications that include a central nervous system stimulant such as modafinil. In cases where modafinil is ineffective, doctors may prescribe amphetamine-like stimulants such as methylphenidate. Antidepressants are sometimes prescribed, especially when cataplexy is one of the symptoms.
Some simple lifestyle changes may also improve the effects of narcolepsy listed in the narcolepsy symptoms quiz. Among these are taking regular, short naps during the day, maintaining a regular sleep schedule at night, getting daily exercise, staying away from alcohol and caffeine before bedtime, avoiding big meals right before bedtime, and engaging in relaxing activities right before bedtime.
Using natural products to deal with narcolepsy
Many patients are turning to natural, over-the-counter remedies based on traditional medicines to improve their lives as they deal with the symptoms found in the narcolepsy symptoms quiz, and researchers are working to see if any of these products – especially those with caffeine — can be proven to help. Dozens of vitamins and nutritional supplements are on the market, and many are based on ingredients that have been used for centuries to help people stay awake and alert when needed.
Here are four popular supplements that include such ingredients. Most of them are sold as nootropic supplements, products that are designed to promote general brain health. However, none of these claim to be a treatment or cure for narcolepsy.
This article (Narcolepsy Symptoms Quiz: Are You Narcoleptic?) is originally published in Health11News.
Voke Energy
According to the manufacturer, these focus tablets give your mind the gift of superfoods to clear brain fog and rapidly transform your ability to focus on the task at hand. With ingredients backed by over 25 independent research studies, VOKE can help you maintain all-day mental energy, laser focus, upbeat mood and clear thinking. Each superfood tablet is formulated to improve mental clarity, energy, and focus for 3-5 hours.
QUANTUMiND by Evolvere
This product is a premium nootropic supplement designed to increase mental focus, mental energy and mental clarity. It also contains natural ingredients that lower levels of cortisol or “stress” hormone to provide a calm sense of alertness and ease. The makers also say their product improves mitochondrial health for natural energy, improved metabolism, and fat loss.
Lion’s Mane Supplements by REAL Mushrooms
This supplement contains a number of nootropic compounds, including beta-glucans, which are immuno-modulating antioxidants and neuro-protective phytonutrients. In vitro research suggests that certain compounds found in Lion’s Mane, namely hericenones and erinacines, may help induce nerve growth factor synthesis in nerve cells. And research in adults with mild memory problems associated with aging found that those taking Lion’s Mane extract had better brain function compared with control participants who did not ingest the mushroom.
Narcolepsy Symptoms Quiz: Are You Narcoleptic? is the (Health11News) report.
Brilliance by MyPEAK supplements
This nootropic caffeine alternative/replacement is formulated to elevate mood, decrease procrastination, enhance workouts, and boost productivity with the combined power of several brain-boosting nootropics. The maker says this supplement helps provide peak cognitive performance, improved focus and memory, elevated productivity, and a balanced mood.
Living with narcolepsy
Even a mild case of narcolepsy – well-controlled with medicine, lifestyle and supplements – can be a dangerous condition. Talk to your doctor or healthcare practitioner about ways to recognize the onset of a sleep attack, especially if you are doing something that requires sustained attention, such as driving or operating machinery. You can also reach out and find suggestions for coping with the conditions listed in the narcolepsy symptoms quiz by contacting the Narcolepsy Network.
More information about narcolepsy can also be found on these sites:
Harvard University’s “Understanding, Living With, and Treating Narcolepsy” website
The Ultimate Guide to Drowsy Driving
Important Note: The information contained in this article (Narcolepsy Symptoms Quiz: Are You Narcoleptic?) is for general informational purposes only, and should not be construed as health or medical advice, nor is it intended to diagnose, prevent, treat, or cure any disease or health condition. Before embarking on any diet or program of nutritional supplementation, it is advisable to consult your healthcare professional in order to determine its safety and probable efficacy in terms of your individual state of health.
