There are many things that can go wrong in your brain, but a neurologist recently discovered the “most terrifying neurological condition” he’s ever seen.
People with the super rare condition may feel perfectly normal on the inside – but on the outside, their lives are changed forever.
“As a neurologist, I see many devastating conditions, but this has to be one of the worst,” Dr. Bing said in an Instagram video.
“Imagine being fully conscious, able to feel everything, hear everything and see everything, and be able to think clearly, but completely unable to move or speak, and only able to close your eyes and move your eyes up and down,” he said. .
He is talking about locked-in syndrome (LIS), which is caused by damage to a certain part of the trunk, most often due to injuries such as strokes, demyelinating diseases – a condition that damages the protective covering around nerve fibers †” and other traumatic injuries.
People with locked-in syndrome, also known as pseudocoma, are fully conscious but unable to do anything other than move their eyes or close their eyes. They often need a tracheotomy to help them breathe, as well as a gastrostomy tube (G-tube) to swallow food and water.
Paralysis means they can’t speak or communicate, and even lack the ability to respond to pain – all of which can make it difficult to diagnose locked-in syndrome, and some people who suffer from the condition are misdiagnosed. brain dead.
In fact, that’s exactly what happened to 36-year-old Jake Handel, who was diagnosed with a rare terminal brain disease. He quickly deteriorated into what appeared to be a vegetative state and one day heard doctors describe him as “brain dead”.
“I heard they said I was brain dead and it’s time to consider withdrawing life support,” he told People. “I was thinking, am I brain dead? How can I think, how do I have memories? So even though I had those thoughts that this was going to be over soon, I was like, “Oh, don’t do that, I’m still here.”
“It was the worst you could imagine. It was like a prisoner in solitary confinement, but worse. You are totally paralyzed, unable to move, speak or signal. I was just talking to myself in my head. It was more survival to keep my brain moving and talk myself out of a full blown panic attack.â€
The diagnosis of locked-in syndrome involves performing several tests, including MRI and EEG. It’s extremely rare, affecting only 1% of stroke victims, but there’s also no cure – and while some patients can sometimes recover some motor function, a full recovery is highly unlikely.
Jake was one of those exceptions: Doctors eventually realized he was still conscious, and through a “very grueling, slow process,” he was able to relearn how to talk and move.
But his example shows that the condition can affect the young as well as the elderly.
“Unfortunately, I’ve seen several cases of locked-in syndrome, and they were all young and middle-aged people, and they all suffered from vertebral dissection and had strokes,” Bing said.
According to a recent CDC report, more people ages 18-64 are having strokes. Mercifully, however, LIS is still a very rare condition. While no prevalence studies have been published, the Center for Genetic and Rare Disease Information (GARD) estimates that fewer than 1,000 people in the US have LIS.
However, the fact that such a dire reality exists is just one more reason to take brain health seriously.
“That’s why taking care of your brain and taking steps to prevent things like stroke are so important,” says Bing. “Because most strokes don’t kill you, they just leave you severely disabled.”
Some ways to keep your brain healthy include getting enough sleep, exercising regularly, eating a diet rich in vitamins and fiber, and learning new things. And protect your head, especially if you’re doing something dangerous.
The quote “I’m here for a good time not a long time” doesn’t really apply to things like strokes because we’re able to keep you living longer, but the quality of life won’t it was very good
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Image Source : nypost.com