The effects of Idiopathic Hypersomnia (IH), a rare, chronic, neurological disorder, leave one with an insatiable need to sleep, along with other symptoms such as sleep inertia and sleep drunkenness. The relentless nature of the disorder negatively impacts mental and physical tasks, including holding a job, going to school, and maintaining relationships. The HF is dedicated to increasing awareness of this disorder, and to finding more effective treatments (and, hopefully, someday a cure).
Idiopathic hypersomnia is a rare sleep disorder about which little is known. There exists a need to educate both the pubic and the medical community about its characteristics, so patients can be diagnosed more quickly. (Currently there is, on average, a 7-year gap from initial symptoms to correct diagnosis.) Further, many primary care physicians and other doctors have not heard of this disorder, so one goal is to increase awareness within the medical community itself.
Increasing awareness of idiopathic hypersomnia (IH) in both the public and the medical communities will reduce the time that patients suffer with IH without a proper diagnosis. In addition, increasing awareness will result in a more accurate count of persons with IH, which will, in turn, spur researchers and pharmaceutical companies to learn more about the causes of IH and to develop better diagnostic tools and treatments (presently there is no FDA approved treatment for IH).
Improved awareness of IH is essential in changing the time from onset to a proper diagnosis, as well as encouraging researchers and pharmaceutical companies in developing more effective diagnostic tools and treatments.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
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