Coma is an unconscious state where the patient cannot be awakened or exhibit voluntary actions. It can be caused by problems with the central nervous system, medical crises, accidents, or drug-induced. Recovery can take time, and in some cases, the patient may never regain consciousness or die. There is no exact treatment for coma, and healthcare professionals approach each case individually.
A coma is generally understood to be an unconscious state from which a patient cannot be awakened. While unconscious, the patient is unable to engage in voluntary actions, does not exhibit a cycle of wakefulness and sleep, and does not record any reaction to any stimulus. Essentially, the comatose patient remains alive, but is completely unable to relate to the world at large.
Taking its name from the Greek word koma, which means deep sleep, a coma can result from a number of different events. Problems with the central nervous system can lead to a coma. Medical crises such as a stroke can also cause the patient to enter a comatose state. There are cases where the intoxication has led the individual to fall into a coma for a long time.
Accidents can even lead to coma. Any type of accident involving a head injury has the potential to result in the individual being knocked unconscious and plunged into a coma. This is especially true if a concussion is suspected. Generally, this is attributed to damage to the section of the brain known as the reticular formation. It is this area of the brain that helps regulate the daily wake and sleep cycle.
There are also examples of drug induced coma. For example, a healthcare professional may choose to use drugs to induce a coma if there has been a serious head injury that needs to be addressed. Doing so is intended to help protect upper brain function from both trauma and medical procedures that may be necessary to effect recovery.
While most people understand coma as a state in which the individual is completely still and silent, this is not always the case. In some cases, the comatose patient may exhibit an involuntary movement that appears to be voluntary. There is also the possibility that the patient vocalizes from time to time. However, all of these actions are not within the individual’s control and do not necessarily indicate that he is becoming more aware of his surroundings.
Comas often last from a few days to several weeks. Recovery from the coma usually takes some time, as the patient slowly regains control of motor functions and is able to regain speech and other communication skills. In some cases, full recovery does not occur. In other cases, the individual may enter what is known as a vegetative state or perhaps never regain consciousness and die.
While medical science has produced coma treatments that have been successful in some cases, there is no exact treatment to address coma. Healthcare professionals approach each case on an individual basis and formulate treatment based on known factors that pertain to the patient.
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