Hypersomnia: Read This If You Feel Sleepy Throughout the Day
Though hypersomnia affects 1 in every 2000 people in the US, mot many know what the condition is all about, how it sets in and what the typical signs are.
Perhaps the main reason for this is that this illness has a tendency to creep in slowly and unobtrusively. It all starts with feeling over sleepy during the day. Most people ignore this initial sign, thinking it to be outcome of late nights, exhaustion, etc, not realizing what is in store.
Identified as a ‘rare disease’ by the Office of Rare Diseases (ORD) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), there are no known causes for the onset of the condition as it is ‘idiopathic’. Therefore, therapies merely provide symptomatic relief.
Know this condition better:
- The most recognizable feature of this chronic illness is excessive daytime sleepiness. The need to sleep is overpowering making the victim doze off anytime anywhere.
- This is a chronic condition that sets in between 15 and 30 years of age; remains for life and responds poorly to any kind of therapy.
- A notable symptom of this disorder is the habit of sleeping for long hours, at times going beyond 10 hours.
- Daytime sluggishness lasts for more than a month.
- The daytime naps lasting for about half hour are non-refreshing.
- Feels irritable and anxious. Has impaired speech and slow thinking.
- Tiredness, low energy levels.
- No appetite, hallucinations, memory loss, restlessness.
Many features are common with other sleep disorders
Diagnosing this sleep disorder can be delayed because of similarity of some of its features with that of other sleep problems. This at times creates diagnostic confusion. For example, daytime drowsiness could be considered as one of the sleep apnea symptoms or even as one of the narcolepsy symptoms.
This kind of similarity may be a problem for the patient regarding the type of illness that he or she is suffering from. But such puzzles can be solved by:
- Relying on sleep apnea test that informs regarding the severity as well as the type of disorder.
- Comparing the other distinctive features of sleep disorders and then draw necessary conclusions.
How can one do such comparisons?
Factors that help in comparison include age and cause of onset, choices of treatment and outward manifestations of the disorders. For example:
- Daytime drowsiness is caused by major sleep deprivation for the apnea patient. For narcoleptics, it is caused by the brain’s inability to monitor the regular sleep-wake cycles.
- Daytime naps for narcoleptics are rejuvenating; for others, such naps are not refreshing.
- Sleep apnea usually sets in around 50 years of age; others set in earlier.
- Sleep apnea is triggered by neglected snoring, outcome of obesity. But snoring can also be caused by septal deviation, a common cause. Septal deviation is a very common condition; this makes deviated septum and sleep apnea a common health situation. Septal deviation is not known to cause any other sleep disorder like narcolepsy, which is caused by a dysfunctional central nervous system.
- Treating narcolepsy involves use of stimulants and antidepressants; managing sleep apnea requires use of devices or even surgery depending on the severity. Hypersomnia is treated mostly with behavioral approaches and sleep hygiene improvement techniques, though drugs are used that provide symptomatic relief.
If you want more information about sleep apnea symptoms, be sure to check Douglas Kidder’s site and learn what you want to know about sleep apnea treatment.
Related posts:
- Hypersomnia Symptoms: Debilitating and Dangerous
- Hypersomnia: Rare But Serious
- Hypersomnia: What It Is All About
- Hypersomnia Symptoms: Debilitating and Dangerous
- Hypersomnia Symptoms: Know Them before You Ignore Over-Sleepiness
- Sleep Apnea Symptoms: Catching Them Early Can Mean Quicker Recovery
- Hypersomnia Symptoms: Ignored Most of the Time
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea: If You Have Done Nothing to Treat Snoring, Read This
- Sleep Apnea Symptoms: Knowing What to Expect Helps
- Sleep Apnea Causes and Symptoms: Knowing About Them Can Help You Cope Better