Lethargy is a term that comes from the Latin lethargus , in turn derived from the Greek lḗthargos . The concept refers to a pathological state that is characterized by extended and deep sleep .
Certain toxic, infectious and nervous diseases cause lethargy in those affected. There are, however, different ways of understanding what lethargy is.
In some cases, the notion is linked to a prolonged state of unconsciousness . The subject may be awakened, but soon falls asleep again.
Lethargy, on the other hand, can be related to drowsiness or drowsiness .
This meaning of lethargy is linked to some diseases; In fact, it can be one of the symptoms of various disorders that, in addition to a deep need for sleep, are characterized by drowsiness, clumsiness , slowness, and mental detachment.
One of the diseases in which lethargy occurs is narcolepsy , which is also known as Gelineau syndrome . Its main characteristic is excessive drowsiness during the day that is impossible to resist.
In addition to lethargy itself, narcolepsy can cause the following symptoms, with varying degrees of severity:
* cataplexy (considerable weakness or paralysis of a muscle group on both sides of the body);
* hypnagogic hallucinations (transient visions that occur between the states of wakefulness and sleep);
* hypnopompic hallucinations (visions that occur in the transition from sleep to wakefulness);
* sleep paralysis (the momentary inability to perform physical movements voluntarily during the transition between sleep and wakefulness);
* sleep interruption during the night.
The rest that certain species of animals perform for varying periods of time is also called torpor. In torpor, these specimens reduce their metabolic activities to a minimum, bringing their respiratory rate and body temperature to lower levels than normal.
To survive during torpor without feeding, animals resort to the energy reserves that they stored in their bodies in the previous months. While in the warm season they dedicate themselves to increasing these reserves, in the winter they use them.
In colloquial language, finally, lethargy is associated with the lack of response , action or initiative . For example: "Can you wake up from my lethargy and help me solve this problem?" , «When my son died I went into a lethargy for several years» , «The local team woke up from its lethargy and returned to victory after five games» .
As we can see in these examples, the idea of lethargy applied in a figurative sense can give rise to different interpretations. In the first sentence we understand that the sender does not approve of the lack of activity of his interlocutor, since he considers that he should be helping him solve his problem. In the second, on the other hand, "emotional paralysis" comes after the death of a loved one, and this is not something voluntary, but rather a state that invades us until it threatens to drown us.
Finally, we talk about a soccer team whose luck was not on its side until suddenly its situation reversed in a match. In this case, lethargy is understood as the inability to advance, to continue climbing in a tournament or to grow at a professional level; It is not voluntary either, but may be due to lack of experience, health problems of the players or, why not?, to issues more typical of chance.
We can see all the meanings set out in the previous paragraphs in the following list of synonyms: hibernation , fainting, daze, paralysis, insensitivity, coma, clumsiness, drowsiness and drowsiness . With respect to its antonyms, we can highlight sleeplessness and activity .