Many people are plagued by lack of sleep, always feeling sleepy, very tired and easily sleepy every day, which usually gets better with more rest. However, if it persists for a longer period of time, it is very likely to be drowsiness, somnolence or coma, which are commonly associated with metabolic disorders, endocrine system disorders, cranio-cerebral disorders and medications, etc. Drowsiness, somnolence and coma are often confused, but in fact they are completely different.

How to distinguish drowsiness, somnolence and coma?

1. Sleepiness

Narcolepsy is usually a deeper and more frequent sleep, but you can wake up when you are slightly stimulated by the outside world, and you can answer questions and react normally after waking up. Narcolepsy is commonly associated with a variety of illnesses, such as brain disorders or sleep apnoea syndrome, and may also be due to a cold or anaemia.

2. Drowsiness

Compared to narcolepsy, lethargy is more serious and cannot be awakened by mere words. It requires strong stimulation, such as stimulating the feet, and waking up after feeling pain. When awakened, the person can answer questions, but the answers are vague and unresponsive, and he or she falls asleep again within a short time. Sleepiness is commonly due to cranial pathology or medication, but can also be due to episodic sleeping sickness or acute alcohol intoxication. Whichever the factor is, early medical attention is still needed or it may develop into a coma.

3. Coma

Coma is the most severe form of unconsciousness, where there is a severe impairment of consciousness to the point of complete loss of consciousness and the patient cannot be awakened by strong stimuli at all, and in severe cases cannot open their eyes. Depending on the severity of the coma, there are 3 levels of coma. Level 1 is superficial coma, in which the patient is completely unconscious, although a small amount of unconscious spontaneous movements may occur, such as the expression of pain when subjected to strong stimuli, but cannot be awakened. In this state, the muscles of the body are relaxed and limp, the blood pressure level drops, the breathing becomes irregular, the bowels are incontinent and basic life can only be maintained by means of artificial mechanical ventilation and medication.

Warm Tips

It is important to note that syncope is not the same as coma. Syncope is caused by a temporary lack of blood and oxygen to the brain due to certain factors, resulting in a transient loss of consciousness, which usually clears up after a few seconds or minutes. Coma can be caused by cranio-cerebral trauma, acute poisoning and respiratory failure, but it can also be caused by diabetic coma, meningitis or stroke, etc. Regardless of the type of disease causing the coma, whether it is a child, a young person or an elderly person, it is important to seek treatment at a regular hospital to identify the cause and treat it in a targeted manner to prevent delays.