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How long can a person be in a coma

by Alivia Nyhan
Published: Last Updated on

It is common for people with head trauma or an accident injury to go into a state called a coma. This state, which is also called vegetative, in some conditions is induced by doctors, for example, when there is a very serious injury and it is necessary to reduce the intracranial pressure in the person.

When someone becomes in a coma they are likely to wake up, all depending on the severity of the injury and the place where it occurred, but how long a person can last in a coma is a mystery, this will depend on a number of influencing factors intimately during this process, that is why in this FastlyHealarticle we will talk to you about how long a person can be in a coma before damage begins to occur in their body.

What is coma

It is also called the vegetable or vegetative state. Coma is a deep state with complete unconsciousness , during which the person is alive but does not have the ability to move or get up, and is not even able to respond to their environment. This state can arise as a result of some injury, for example a severe trauma to the head or as a complication of some serious illness. Coma can also be induced in case of an injury that increases intracranial pressure and it is desired to monitor the person while the body recovers from the problem.

How long can a person be in a coma

The time that a person can be in a coma is relative, and will depend on a series of factors that greatly influence its duration , that is, the result that the vegetative state can have on a person will depend on:

  • The underlying cause that triggered it.
  • The severity of the injury.
  • The site where it occurred.

Statistics show that a person in this state very rarely lasts more than four weeks, generally it is between two to four weeks ; although depending on the condition they can last up to years and even decades.

Many of the people do not manage to wake up from a coma when the injury is serious and they generally get complicated with some problem, at least in some cases an infection such as pneumonia is the cause of their death. People who manage to awaken from the vegetative state may also present psychological, physical or intellectual problems .

In those cases where the person is induced to coma, the time will depend on the recovery of the patient and the cause that led him to this state, that is, it can also last a few days and even months. For example, if it is due to a serious disease, the patient will wake up when the parameters such as ventilation, infection and oxygenation are improving, this means that the person will be removed from this state when the pathology that caused it was overcome.

Studies have shown that coma can bring very serious neurological sequelae and therefore, it is not recommended in all cases or for a long time, unless it is strictly necessary for serious pathologies where there is no other alternative.

How you wake up from a coma

People who have suffered a coma, according to their experiences, say that the recovery process is slow and can last from a few months to years . According to specialists, people can have depressive episodes, however they are not very frequent, the family is more likely to suffer more than the person who has been in a coma. Disorientation is very common, they may never remember anything if it is due to an accident. It is normal that when the person wakes up they are fatigued and drowsy, since the body must restore its normal sleep and wake rhythm.

Once the person wakes up, the first movements they will perform are eye movements , after these movements they will want to locate objects or people, it is what they call a minimum state of consciousness. It is important that once the person wakes up and is taken home from the hospital, family members become nurses and care for the person until full recovery.

This article is merely informative, at FastlyHeal .com we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any type of diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor in the case of presenting any type of condition or discomfort.

If you want to read more articles similar to How long can a person be in a coma , we recommend that you enter our Brain and Nerves category .

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