Comas are serious medical conditions that can leave people’s lives hanging by a thread. The abundance of shows on Netflix about waking up from coma makes us think that it is possible to stay asleep for months and wake up feeling refreshed, but that’s not how it works. In reality, comas can last anywhere from hours to years, depending on the severity of the underlying condition.

What is a coma?

Acoma (not to be confused with an Italian dessert) is defined as an extended state of unconsciousness where patients do not respond to external stimuli like light or sound. People in comas appear as if they’re sleeping comfortably when, in fact, their brains show little sign of activity. This makes them more challenging for doctors since they cannot ask them questions or assess their pain levels.

Causes of Coma

Many things can cause someone to slip into a coma; some less common causes include:

• Toxins exposure
• Electric shock
• Metabolic abnormalities
• Traumatic brain injury (TBI) caused due to accidents or falls.

Common reasons why one may fall into a coma include;

• Stroke

• A stroke deprives parts of your brain from oxygenated blood resulting in cell damage and death.

  • Neurological illness

  • Illnesses such as epilepsy and migraines have been known to cause disorders which result in loss consciousness

  Other probable Underlying factors behind why people slip into comas may lie within;

  • Brain tumors,
  • Diabetes,
  • Alcohol poisoning,
  • Anesthesia complications

If you experience any head trauma or concussion-related symptoms seek medical attention right away (no time for googling).

So How long till I wake up？

The answer depends heavily on what caused the coma and its severity level; this could range from a few hours to potentially never waking up at all.

Examples

• A drug overdose can cause people to fall into comas for several days, but after the effects of the substance wears off, they’re likely to wake up.

• Severe physical traumas such as TBIs often need weeks before being able to see any adult signs of consciousness. From there on out progress till complete recovery varies when things such as nerve or muscular damage heal and not depending solely on brain function.

It’s impossible even for medical professionals like Dr.Gregory house (he isn’t real) to determine whether someone will ever recover from a coma entirely or not. The experience is specific in that everyone recovers at their pace and doesn’t happen overnight.

What happens while we are asleep?

When you normally sleep, parts of your brain continue functioning despite relaxation – this period reflects what doctors call “light sleeping.” While unconscious patients passed ‘light sleep’ stages enters deep sleep where there is either no activity present in some sections or barely noticeable activity; this also means memory formation ceases alongside almost other forms cognitive processing.

The key difference between traditional slumbering time vs. Coma lies explicitly within how little brain function typically registers with those undergoing comatose states.

How long before it’s game over?

If an individual shows no sign of improvement months into coma progressing care may shift into comfort measures eventually leading onto removal life support machines cessation allowing them easier passing comfortability save rare miraculous cases reported late-stage awakenings beyond two years,

It’s important to remember nobody fully understands how exactly comas work and each patient’s unique case should have individually assessed successful diagnosis ease further treatment approach.

To summarise unless plants I’ve shown many times during critical story plots do talk back(which would be awesome!), people tend not start talking mid-coma so better keep yourself healthy preventative measure than wait around hoping waiting outcomes.