You have often heard the word coma, whether in real life or films. What coma is? And what happens when you are in a coma? Let’s have a brief look at that. Coma is a Greek word having a meaning of deep sleep. Coma is the state of prolonged unconsciousness in which people are not aware of their surroundings. Individuals who are in a coma do not respond to any stimuli. They do not communicate either in verbal or gesture form. Even if you pierce them with a needle or pinch them, no resistance is shown by them.
This state can be temporary or permanent. People may get reversed from a coma, or there is no comeback. Making it clear, if a diabetic patient is in a coma, he or she can quickly reverse back from that stage when their blood sugar levels are in control. On the other hand, continuous seizure results in prolonged unconsciousness and irreversible coma.
A person during a coma is alive and sometimes breathing on his own. On the other hand, depending on the condition, a ventilator is used to keep them breathing and thus alive. Comatose patients do communicate in some cases. Well, this communication is different from the normal one. Brain scans showed blood circulation and other responses when some questions were asked to them in the form of yes or no.
There are many reasons behind coma-like an accident which is more often. Similarly, other causes are stroke, head injury, tumors in the brain, alcohol intoxication, and diabetes. Lack of oxygen is also a significant cause of coma. Here we will give you an idea of how people feel when they are in a coma and after waking up from that state.
Consider watching this video to know more about what is dementia….
A patient of age 14 narrated that he was able to hear the conversations going near him. He said that he was able to point direct conversations about him but could not respond to them. The most-reported thing about coma is the feeling of being in a dream. The boy said that he used to have dreams about food and playing with his friends. Mostly, in the end, he used to sit alone in the ground like everyone has left him alone. After that period, he experiences weakness, hunger, not able to recognize anyone except his mother. It took him around two weeks to memorize his past and family.
According to another patient, it was like ”nothing”. She did not have any dreams or sensations at all.
Some termed this experience as hell and painful. A few individuals thought they are stuck or dead. In short, we may say that everyone has gone through a different perspective of deep sleep. Neurological responses that are involuntary, and we perform them in unconsciousness are also diminished in them as they do not move away from the threat. The reason is that they do not detect any danger.
In other words, we can say that coma does not reflect the example of one-size-fits-all. Treatment of coma depends upon the type of coma and also the cause behind it. When we monitor the reason behind a coma, there are more chances for early recovery and a short duration of coma. With the help of medical attention, doctors can recover the coma resulting from drug poisoning immediately. Comas resulting from lack of oxygen are more challenging to treat than the ones caused due to head injury. To recover from a coma, a patient requires intensive care and a full life support system.
It is rare, but people can completely recover from the coma. However, they still need both physical and mental assistance to restore their normal functioning.
Until Next Time,
Team Doctor ASKY!