Cataplexy laughter3/24/2023 ![]() “It’s stopping me from doing what I really want to do and now I don’t know what to apply for at university,” the teen says. Indeed, along with hindering Hodgson’s social life, the cataplexy has prevented her from driving - and dashed her lifelong dream of becoming a midwife because she can’t control her hand movements. While she was relieved that she could start treatment, the high schooler was also scared how it would affect her life. The diagnosis has triggered mixed emotions for Hodgson, who lives at home with her mom and sister. Those who suffer from it must take daily medication in an attempt to manage the symptoms. While frightening, the episodes are not dangerous as long as the individual finds a safe place in which to collapse, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Unfortunately, doctors at the time attributed the incident to the fact that “everyone shakes when they laugh.” ![]() ![]() The first episode she can remember happened when “she fell to her knees” while laughing with a friend at secondary school when she was 14. Still, it’s been a long road for Hodgson, who only found out she had cataplexy last spring despite suffering bouts of laughter-sparked paralysis throughout her school years. Fortunately, she has learned to see the funny side of her condition, admitting “I have to make light of it.” Billie Hodgson has cataplexy, an uncontrollable muscle paralysis spurred by strong emotions. The naturally bubbly high-school senior says she tries “not to be as involved in funny situations to avoid cataplexy, especially in front of those who are not as familiar with it.”Īnd while Hodgson says her friends try not to crack jokes in front of her, the silence often triggers awkward laughter all the same. It would be nearly impossible for a teen’s social life not to suffer because of it. “It’s like you have no control over your body.” “It’s so hard to explain how it feels when I collapse,” says Hodgson, adding that the condition is especially frustrating because she’s conscious during the paralysis. ![]() Cataplexy often occurs in conjunction with narcolepsy, a disorder marked by spontaneous “sleep attacks,” which are paradoxically sparked by excitement. The 17-year-old has cataplexy, a neurological disorder characterized by sudden, uncontrollable muscle paralysis when she experiences a strong emotion, according to the National Sleep Foundation. The UK teen suffers from a rare condition that causes her to fall to the floor every time she laughs. My husband has 'sexsomnia' - it's improved our sex life dramaticallyīillie Hodgson is the rare person who can text “ROFL” and not be accused of hyperbole. Secrets to sleeping better in the winter revealed in new study I'm an acupuncturist - I swear by a 20-second 'trick' to wake you up In about 10 percent of cases, narcolepsy runs in families.This is how much longer you need to sleep in the winter Less often, the cause of narcolepsy is an injury that damages the brain. Their immune system mistakenly turns against their body and attacks the brain cells that produce hypocretin. Some people experience hallucinations and sleep paralysis when they’re falling asleep or waking up.Ĭertain people with autoimmune disorders are more likely to get narcolepsy with cataplexy. The lack of hypocretin makes it hard for someone to stay awake during the day, blurring the line between wakefulness and sleep. That loss of muscle tone causes you to lose control over your body when you’re awake. It’s the same loss of muscle tone that naturally happens during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. The loss of muscle tone, cataplexy, happens because sleep and wakefulness overlap in narcolepsy. When it’s in short supply, your brain has trouble regulating your sleep-wake cycles. This chemical, which is produced in a brain region called the hypothalamus, controls sleep and wakefulness. Low levels of the chemical hypocretin cause narcolepsy with cataplexy. Narcolepsy affects signals in your brain that are supposed to keep you awake.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply.AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |