Prevention

‘Safety first’ should be followed by narcoleptics to avoid accidents during episodes of excessive daytime sleepiness

Patients suffering from untreated narcolepsy carry a 10-fold risk of suffering accidents involving vehicles as compared to the rest of the population. However, accident rates are in the ‘normal range’ among patients who have received treatment for the condition.

Life style modifications help to reduce the severity of the symptoms. Sleep attacks may result in physical harm to people with narcolepsy. Victims of narcolepsy should adhere to all safety measures while driving.

Though narcolepsy by itself is not a life threatening condition, victims expose themselves to serious injury or death due to injury in the absence of proper treatment. Even actions such as climbing or walking, considered safe, can turn for the worse due to unexpected loss of muscle control.The risk of cuts and burns is higher if you fall asleep while preparing food.

References:

Narcolepsy Fact Sheet - (http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/narcolepsy/detail_narcolepsy.htm)
Narcolepsy - (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/narcolepsy/DS00345)
About Narcolepsy - (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narcolepsy)

Published on Sep 15, 2014
Last Updated on Nov 18, 2016

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APA

Dr. Anitha Paderla. (2016, November 18). Narcolepsy. Medindia. Retrieved on May 16, 2022 from https://www.medindia.net/patients/patientinfo/sleep/narcolepsy-prevention.htm.
MLA

Dr. Anitha Paderla. "Narcolepsy". Medindia. May 16, 2022. <https://www.medindia.net/patients/patientinfo/sleep/narcolepsy-prevention.htm>.
Chicago
Dr. Anitha Paderla. "Narcolepsy". Medindia. https://www.medindia.net/patients/patientinfo/sleep/narcolepsy-prevention.htm. (accessed May 16, 2022).
Harvard
Dr. Anitha Paderla. 2021. Narcolepsy. Medindia, viewed May 16, 2022, https://www.medindia.net/patients/patientinfo/sleep/narcolepsy-prevention.htm.