What Happens when you are in Coma?
Coma is more common in films and TV than in real life but it still is a deadly condition that makes one feel helpless. When a person is suffering from coma, he is in a prolonged state of unconsciousness. There can be multiple causes of coma including, stroke, brain tumor, head injury, drug, intoxication and many others. To preserve life, it is necessary to take swift action. Doctors take blood tests and brain scans like MRI to determine the exact cause of coma, so the treatment can begin.
Coma doesn’t last for more than a few weeks and people who are unconscious for a really long time sometimes transition to the state known as ‘brain death’. When a person falls into a coma, he stops showing any signs of communication with the environment around him. When someone speaks to them, they don’t respond to them. So, what happens to the brain when a person is in a coma? Is it still working? Can he hear his loved ones calling for him? Let’s explore these topics today, in this article.
Diagnosis of Coma:
An MRI and other imaging tests show the structural changes of brain tissue in the various diseases leading to coma.When a person is suffering from coma, they cannot communicate. So, you need to be looking for outward signs including closed eyes, irresponsible limbs and lack of response to painful stimuli.
The appearance of these symptoms can appear instantly or take time to appear, depending upon the cause of the coma. People who suffer from a low blood sugar problem or high blood CO2 level problem will first experience mild agitation. Gradually, their thinking abilities will decrease and after some time, they will finally lose consciousness.
In case of a severe head injury or a subarachnoid hemorrhage, the symptoms of coma will appear instantly. In such a case, it is very helpful if there’s an eye witness that can recount the events before the impact. This information is very helpful for doctors in prescribing the patient’s with the correct treatment, in a timely manner.
Detecting Brain Activity:
A doctor may conduct EEG, after the initial MRI scan, to measure the brain activity of a person in a coma. The results of electroencephalography show if the person in a coma can hear the sounds around him or feel contact on their skin. Electrodes are placed on the patient’s head to record the neurnons’ activity. Everytime the person hears or sees something, neurons are fired which changes the eclectic activity measured on the head. EEG is commonly used by doctors on coma patients because it doesn’t cause any pain or discomfort.
Treatment of Coma:
The cause of the coma determines its treatment. The people who are close to comatose should try to give the doctors as much information possible to help them in determining the cause of coma. Next, swift medical action is necessary to give doctors the chance to treat their patient and stop any potentially irreversible conditions. For example, if a doctor knows that a person is suffering from a diabetic shock, he will give the patient glucose to stop from the situation escalating. Similarly, if a tumor is timely detected through MRI, the doctor may decide to quickly conduct a surgery and remove the tumour. This will reduce the pressure on the brain and decrease the swelling of the brain.
