Health: Learn how to cope with Narcolepsy without seeing doctors!

Learn how to cope with Narcolepsy without seeing doctors!

Written by Ebe Heng

Narcolepsy is a malfunction of repparttar

sleep/wake regulating system in repparttar 114432

brain which until recently was of unknown origin. Its most common manifestation is Excessive Daytime Sleepiness and sleep attacks.

Symptoms of Narcolepsy includes:

a. Temporary paralysis on falling asleep or awakening (sleep paralysis).

b. Hallucinations - vivid images or sounds - on falling asleep or awakening (Hypnagogic and hypnopompic hallucinations respectively).

c. Moments (but sometimes extended periods) of trance-like behaviour in which routine activities are continued on "auto-pilot" (Automatic behaviour).

d. Interruption of night-time sleep by frequent waking periods, marked by quickening of repparttar 114433 heart rate, over- alertness, hot flushes, agitation, and an intense craving for sweets.

Is there any treatment?

There is no cure for narcolepsy, but repparttar 114434 symptoms can be controlled with behavioral and medical therapy. The excessive daytime sleepiness may be treated with stimulant drugs or with repparttar 114435 drug modafinil. Cataplexy and other REM-sleep symptoms may be treated with antidepressant medications.

Medications will only reduce repparttar 114436 symptoms, but will not alleviate them entirely. Also, many currently available medications have side effects. Basic lifestyle adjustments such as regulating sleep schedules, scheduled daytime naps and avoiding "over-stimulating" situations may also help to reduce repparttar 114437 intrusion of symptoms into daytime activities.

Drug Therapy

Stimulants are repparttar 114438 mainstay of drug therapy for excessive daytime sleepiness and sleep attacks in narcolepsy patients. These include methylphenidate (Ritalin®), modafinil, dextroamphetamine, and pemoline. Dosages of these medications are determined on a case-by-case basis, and they are generally taken in repparttar 114439 morning and at noon. Other drugs, such as certain antidepressants and drugs that are still being tested in repparttar 114440 United States, are also used to treat repparttar 114441 predominant symptoms of narcolepsy.

"Lean on Me"Cancer through a Carer's Eyes

Written by Lorraine Kember

Mesothelioma Cancer

Asbestos BlueBy Lorraine Kember

He was only a child when it begun And he played as children do In his yard, with his toy cars and tip trucks But his sand was asbestos blue…

In December 1999, my husband and I were walking home from a game of lawn bowls when I became aware of his shortness of breath. I was surprised and concerned when he told me that he had experienced this on several occasions. Believing this to be due to chest a infection, I made a doctor’s appointment for him repparttar next day. Chest X-rays revealed fluid on repparttar 114431 lungs, over two litres of which was drained, giving Brian immediate relief, but it was a tense wait for repparttar 114432 pathology results. Through repparttar 114433 Internet I had become aware of several conditions which may have been responsible for fluid on repparttar 114434 lung; these included asbestos- related diseases. Brian had lived in Wittenoom as a child and I was afraid of his diagnosis. Not wanting to worry him unnecessarily, I did not mention my fears to him. I prayed that he had pleurisy or pneumonia but repparttar 114435 pathology results revealed that there were cancer cells present. When Brian finally received his diagnosis, my worst nightmare became reality. He had pleural mesothelioma, a terminal cancer of repparttar 114436 lung caused by repparttar 114437 inhalation of asbestos dust. We found it inconceivable that repparttar 114438 disease was repparttar 114439 result of Brian inhaling asbestos dust as a child and that it had lain dormant for forty-five years before become lethal. We were still reeling from repparttar 114440 shock when, without preamble, repparttar 114441 young doctor gave his prognosis. His exact words were, “Three to nine months, I reckon”. That he could say this so unfeelingly amazed me. His total lack of compassion did not encourage even repparttar 114442 small comfort of tears. I felt as if Brian and I had been shot and from that moment on we were waiting to drop. Undoubtedly, were mortally wounded. We suffered shock, disbelief, anger, helplessness and utter despair; in fact all repparttar 114443 symptoms of grief one feels when a loved one has actually died. Once again we found ourselves with no control over our lives. This time however, there was no light at repparttar 114444 end of repparttar 114445 tunnel. Our journey through terminal illness had begun. Throughout repparttar 114446 course of our married life my deep love for Brian and my determination to resolve difficulties had seen us through many trials. I found it hard to believe that nothing could be done to save his life and begun surfing repparttar 114447 Internet for information regarding mesothelioma, all repparttar 114448 time praying for a miracle, hoping against hope to find a doctor who had successfully operated on or cured someone of it.

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