Puzzling Causes for IH - Idiopathic hypersomnia interesting facts....
There is rare neurological disorder called Idiopathic hypersomnia (IH), few available treatment can help, but there is no 100% cure from IH.
Symptoms are:-
- You snooze upwards of 9 - 10 hours a night without feeling refreshed.
- You may be fighting to wake-up in the morning.
- Your sleepiness may persist or get worse by each passing day, even when you take lengthy naps during the day around 8 hours.
You’d probably like to know what’s causing your symptoms if you live with IH.
But unfortunately, that’s not something medical experts have figured out yet in todays science.
According to Sabra Abbott, - “Literally, the name idiopathic hypersomnia means you’re sleepy and we don’t know why,” she is MD, assistant professor of neurology and sleep medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.
Lots of sleep specialists are struggling to solve the IH puzzle, including Lynn Marie Trotti, MD, associate professor of neurology at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta. Sleep disorders tend to run in heriditory families, so your genes likely have something to do with it for sure. But Trotti says she and her colleagues still don’t know the main source of all this extra sleepiness.
“The big mystery really is what causes idiopathic hypersomnia,” Trotti says.
Few theories Behind Idiopathic Hypersomnia - IH:-
Yet to find about why we don't know people with IH are so sleepy,why the disorder causes cognitive symptoms like brain fog, memory troubles, or poor attention.
But thanks to continuous ongoing research, Trotti & Abbott say there are some emerging clues, includes:
Something triggers in your GABA-A receptors. These are neurotransmitters that inhibit your central nervous system. Few of the drugs like benzodiazepines can activate them. Doctors use these kinds of meds to treat anxiety and insomnia maytimes.
Trotti says people with IH sometimes have higher levels of natural benzodiazepines in their spinal fluid. “the fact that there’s a difference suggests that (GABA-A receptors) might be related to the sleepiness in idiopathic hypersomnia,”
There’s always some ongoing research into this theory. Abbott says the idea is that something in your body acts like an all day sleeping pill mechanism.
“That’s helpful for when you’re trying to go to sleep, but not when you’re trying to be awake during the day.” This brings the trouble for lot of people sufferring with IH
Everyone has a natural sleep-wake cycle. People with IH, might stay up late and have a lot of trouble waking up early. This “kind of suggests that there might at least be a component of a circadian timing issue,” added Trotti.
On that Abbott explains - she sees a lot of overlap between IH & something called delayed sleep wake phase disorder. These are your natural night owls who fall asleep & get up later, she says.
While the average circadian rhythm for most of us is just a little bit longer than 22-24 hours, she adds this group operates differently.
“It’s sort of like they’re living a 28-25 hours long day,” Abbott says.
“Their sleep window is longer because their internal day is longer. They’re always playing catch-up.”
Chronic Fatigue & Idiopathic Hypersomnia:-
Since IH is a bit of a mystery, it can go undiagnosed for a long period. It may seem like some other conditions. That might have something to do with how we think & talk about sleep. You might hear people use phrases like "fatigue" & "sleepiness" in accordance with one another, but they aren’t truely the same thing. There is a small hairy line distinguishing both.
Here’s what Trotti pen down the difference:
Hypersomnia - this means you either sleep too long or you fall asleep when you shouldn’t, such as taking naps during the day.
Fatigue - it is a weariness or lack of energy that doesn’t tend to raise your sleep time.
Trotti adds - about 20% of people with hypersomnia also have chronic fatigue syndrome but a careful history of your symptoms can help your doctor figure out what’s going on.
Doctors May ask:
- What do your normal night and day schedules look like?
- How much time do you spend asleep usually?
- How much time do you spend resting but still awake?
- How much time do you spend trying to function while tired?
Sleep tests are also very helpful in this regard.
When it comes to hypersomnia, your doctor will see if:
- You fall asleep fast during a daytime nap?
- You sleep more than 11 hours in a 24-hour period?
Trotti adds - "you wouldn’t expect the above symptoms if you have chronic fatigue syndrome without a hypersomnia disorder"
So now Where Is Research Headed?
Both the expers says there is a lot of interest in the GABA hypothesis. Today, most ongoing research is in that area because some anti GABA drugs can reverse symptoms in some people with IH. In the future near, there may be more drugs like this made specifically for IH.
“It is a disorder we still don’t know a lot about & don’t have great treatments for it,”
“But as I tell my patients, there are people actively researching on it. Hopefully, 6 or 8 years from now, we’re going to have better answers in terms of what causes it and what treats it.”
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