8 things that can lead to coma

What is a coma and what are its symptoms

From ancient Greek the word "coma" is translated as "deep sleep". Outwardly, this prolonged unconsciousness really looks likeComa: Types, Causes, Treatments and Prognosis to sleep. However, there are also significant differences.

Here are the main symptoms of a comaComa: Symptoms and Causes:

• Closed eyes.
• Impossibility of awakening - a person does not react if he is disturbed, called by name.
• The pupils do not respond to light. This is a sign of suppression of reflexes of the brain stem.
• There is no reaction to pain.
• The limbs are motionless. Only reflex movements are present.
• The person breathes, but barely noticeable, irregularly, with long pauses between exhalation and inhalation.

When you need to urgently call an ambulance

Always! Coma is a deadly emergency: a person can die at any time.

If you see someone with the above symptoms, immediately dial the emergency medical service number - in the Russian Federation, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan it is 103 or 112. There is a single number 112 in European countries.

Because of what you can fall into a coma

The main cause of coma is severe brain damage that critically affects brain performance. They, in turn, can be caused by various reasons. Here are the most common ones.

1. Traumatic brain injury

Unsuccessful fall (for example, when riding a bike or alpine skiing), an accident, a blow to the head - any of these situations can lead to a coma.

The fact is that with injury, bleeding or edema occurs. Excess fluid in the rigid skull increases pressure on the brainstem. As a result, the departments responsible for consciousness may suffer.

2. Stroke

Acute circulatory disorders of the brain (stroke) together with craniocerebral trauma is the cause of more than 50% of coma cases.

A stroke can be caused by a blockage in arteries or a ruptured blood vessel, as a result of which part of the brain does not receive oxygen and nutrients and, as a result, begins to die off.

3. Diabetes

Diabetes increases the risk of spikes in blood sugar levels. Too high (hyperglycemia) or, conversely, low (hypoglycemia) glucose levels can lead to so-called diabetic coma.

4. Acute lack of oxygen

This factor also causes brain edema, as well as the subsequent death of its cells. Therefore, into a who can fall after drowning (even if the drowning person was taken out of the water and underwent cardiopulmonary resuscitation) or a heart attack (even if the heartbeat and blood supply to the brain were restored).

5. Infections

Infections such as encephalitis and meningitis can cause swelling of the brain, spinal cord, or surrounding tissues. In severe cases, this also leads to a coma.

6. Poisoning

If the body is unable or does not have time to dispose of the toxins found in it, this leads to brain poisoning and the death of neurons, which also sometimes results in a coma.

These toxins can be carbon monoxide or lead trapped in the body from outside, as well as alcohol and drugs used in large quantities. Some diseases also lead to brain poisoning. For example, for liver disease toxic ammonia can build up in the body, carbon dioxide in asthma, and urea in kidney failure.

7. Convulsions

A single seizure rarely causes a coma. But regular seizures - called status epilepticus - can lead to critical brain damage and "deep sleep."

8. Tumors

We are talking about those neoplasms that develop in the brain or its trunk.

How long do they lie in a coma

It depends on how severe the brain damage was. Some cases of coma are reversible. For example, the diabetic option - in order to bring a person to life, it is enough to normalize blood sugar levels as soon as possible.

In general, coma rarely lasts longer than a few weeks. People who are unconscious for a longer period most often go into a persistent vegetative state. This means that the body is alive and feels well (there is no longer any talk of a lethal outcome), but there is no higher mental activity - the person continues to remain unconscious.

People who have been in a persistent vegetative state for more than a year have virtually no chance of waking up.

How to help someone in a coma

There is only one option: call emergency medical assistance as soon as possible. Further treatment is determined by doctors. It will depend on the cause of the coma.

For example, antibiotics are given for infection. In case of edema or swelling, objects pressing on the brain are removed surgically. For seizures, medications are prescribed that reduce seizure activity.

Sometimes this therapy helps quickly and the person regains consciousness within a few hours or days. And then, over time, it is completely restored.

But there are no guarantees. The victim may not come out of the coma even after taking medication or surgery. In this case, all that remains is to wait, and the treatment is to keep the body alive.