Talks About A Killing Nigthmare

It is Sunday morning when Huny and I have a lunch date with Ferry and her Fiance  the same days as the date with girlfriends.  As per waiting for our orders to arrived we have this conversation related to Ferry's friend whom died because of a nightmare( bangungot) . The discussion starts from there. As Paul ( Ferry's fiance ) told that it was related to heart attack. As to Ferry's opinion it was she said heard that due to eating pasta or noodles before sleeping. Few of some explanation people believe how come a nightmare can kill a certain person. In my Huny's opinion he agreed to Paul that it was heart attack. In addition Ferry also told that it was having a bad dream wherein you were in a middle of either fight or strange emotions that leads your heart to be forced from beating enough and then collapsed.

I shared to them about what I have known about this topic. How it happens and what it causes to a person to die. In science a nightmare is not an acceptable reason of a death of a person. There were none physician will put a diagnosis of death related to nightmare. A person who dies asleep and never got the chance to woke up if there were no underlying illness, and so as they say nightmare is caused by acute pancreatitis or the inflammation of an essential gland behind the stomach, the pancreas . Aside from digestive enzymes, the pancreas is more known as the source of hormones insulin and glucagon. The causes of acute pancreatitis are legion – from gallstones, viral infections, high lipid (cholesterol) levels, to alcohol abuse. One mechanism used to explain it is auto digestion: Normally inactive enzymes are activated within the pancreas and begin to eat up tissue. Why this happens is not fully known.

Signs & symptoms. Acute pancreatitis presents severe abdominal pain usually at the upper left side or upper middle, made worse by lying on the back. Pain is worsened by a heavy and fatty meal and alcohol. The patient can have fever; experience sweating, anxiety, nausea, and vomiting.

Diagnosis & treatment. Your favorite gastroenterologist is the doctor to see. Lab tests will show elevated pancreatic enzymes (serum lipase and amylase). Abdominal ultrasound, MRI, or CT scan can reveal pancreatic inflammation. Treatment is mainly supportive because most cases resolve in one week. However, some patients take a turn for the worse, particularly if the pancreas bleeds and necroses (dies off).

Bangungot has its Asian equivalents. In northern Thailand, it is called lai tai. In Japan, it is pokkuri.

To Ferry, Paul, Huny and Me

Pancreas in tagalog is Lapay.