Coma Symptoms, Causes And Treatment

Humorously people define Coma as a state of extreme sleepiness but Coma is very different from sleep. Even though the origin of the word comes from a Greek word for Koma or deep sleep. 

What is Coma?

Coma is a deep state of unconsciousness that lasts for an undefined period of time. There are various forms of unconsciousness that make people unable to respond to any external stimuli. 

What does It Mean to Be in Coma?

In such a case, a remains alive, but he or she cannot respond in the normal way to the environment. It can happen as a result of a traumatic accident, such as a blow to the head, or a medical condition, for example, some types of infection or sometimes medical oversight.

Most of the time, a Coma lasts a few weeks. But past this period, the patient can enter a persistent vegetative state that severely lessens the chances of ever coming back. Sometimes people who recover may end up with major or minor disabilities as well, such as speech impediments, mental retardation or problem coordinating body movements. 

Causes of Coma

More than half of the cases of Comas are related to head trauma or disturbance in the circulatory system of the brain. 

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Comas can occur as a result of some level of injury to the brain or CNS:

• Serious Trauma
• Head injuries
• Diabetes 
• Stroke
• Swelling of brain tissue
• Some sort of infection
• Bleeding in the layers of the brain
• Drug/Alcohol abuse
• Hypoxia, or lack of oxygen

Symptoms of Coma

The common symptoms of Coma are unconsciousness and no response to any external stimuli. In some cases, people experience decreasing reflex actions, their response to pain, and their pupil size for the initial stages.

A few symptoms of different states of Coma.

• Vegetative State: A person's body can make physical movements such as grunts. These movements are purely involuntary and it can induce false hopes of recovery.

• Catatonia State: There is no movement or response of any kind. The patients in the catatonic state require help from the machine to breathe. One can say the brain is dead, as the higher brain operations are destroyed and the brain only carries out the automatic functions.

• Stupor State: A stupor is technically not a form of Coma but is sometimes referred to as one. This is the case of one being able to awaken, but only with considerable efforts. The person is almost entirely unresponsive and only responds to intense stimuli such as pain.

 Treatment of Coma

Coma is considered a serious medical emergency which means you need to take the patient to the hospital as soon as possible as a delay only reduces the chances of recovery. First, doctors examine the airway of the affected person to help regulate ventilation (ventilation) to circulation. Doctors can provide breathing assistance, blood transfusions, and other supportive care.

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Treatment of Coma depends on its cause and how severe it is. It may include: 

• Intravenous injection of glucose in the case of hypoglycemia
• Intravenous injection of naloxone in the case of overdose with opioid
• Surgical treatment in the case of a blood clot between the brain and its lining
• Antibiotics in the case of infection.

The person's survival depends on the cause and extent of the Coma. So someone who goes into a Coma is at risk of death. In some cases, full healing without loss of brain function can occur, and in other cases, permanent brain injury is the outcome.

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Conclusion

You cannot limit the treatment for Coma because of the huge cost involved. But what is recommended to combat the financial catastrophes arising from health issues is consider buying a critical health insurance plan. It offers a great bouquet of benefits, which may not put an end to your problems, but will definitely lend a helping hand. 

To know about the best health insurance plans in the market for Coma, you can talk to the customer care executives at 7551196989.