What do people in comas see?

In a coma, a person appears deeply asleep but is unresponsive, with closed eyes and no voluntary movement, though reflexes and basic functions like breathing (sometimes irregular) remain; they experience no conscious awareness or dreaming like normal sleep, but some report vivid hallucinations or false memories as their brain tries to process external stimuli, making it a state of prolonged unconsciousness, not just deep sleep.

What do you see if you're in a coma?

The symptoms of a coma commonly include: Closed eyes. Depressed brainstem reflexes, such as pupils not responding to light. No responses of limbs except for reflex movements.

Can people in comas see?

In a typical coma, people can't see because their eyes are closed and they're unaware, but brain activity varies; some might have fleeting awareness, process sounds, or even have visions, while others experience deep unconsciousness, with "eyes-open" states like the vegetative or minimally conscious state showing varied perception, sometimes tracking objects or responding inconsistently.
 

Do people dream while in a coma?

Yes, many people in a coma, especially medically induced ones or those with partial consciousness, report vivid, long dreams that can feel real, often incorporating real-world sounds or sensations as part of the dream narrative, though true deep coma might prevent dreaming, it's hard to definitively know due to varying brain states and coma types. These experiences, sometimes described as living a whole other life, show the brain's attempt to make sense of reality, say neurologists. 

Do people remember being in a coma?

People's memories of being in a coma vary greatly; some recall nothing, while others experience vivid dreams, fragmented memories, sensory snippets (like voices or touch), or even elaborate false realities, often struggling to differentiate them from reality, as the brain tries to fill the memory gap during recovery. While some consciousness may occur, actual memory formation is often limited, with many patients having little to no recollection of the time. 

What Happens in the Brain During a Coma?

Can people in comas cry?

Individuals may even occasionally grimace, cry, or laugh.

How long is too long in a coma?

There's no single "too long" for a coma, as durations vary from minutes to years, but most resolve within weeks; comas exceeding four weeks are often termed "Long-Lasting Coma" (LLC) or vegetative states, with outcomes depending heavily on the brain injury's cause, severity, patient age, and underlying health, with longer comas generally indicating worse recovery, though some people have woken after many years. 

What's the longest coma ever?

The longest coma ever recorded was held by Elaine Esposito, who remained in a coma for 37 years and 111 days, from 1941 until her death in 1978, after complications from an appendectomy as a child. While her case was the record for decades, another woman, Edwarda O'Bara, later surpassed it, spending over 42 years in a diabetic coma from 1970 until her death in 2012, according to Guinness World Records.
 

Is being in a coma like sleeping?

No, being in a coma isn't like normal sleeping; while a person in a coma looks like they're deeply asleep, they are in a prolonged state of unconsciousness, unable to wake up or respond to stimuli, including pain, and their brain activity is significantly different, lacking the regular cycles of sleep. A coma involves a serious brain issue, unlike sleep, where the brain cycles through stages, processes information, and dreams, whereas a comatose brain has reduced activity and doesn't experience normal sleep patterns.
 

How do coma patients eat?

Coma patients cannot eat normally and receive nutrition through feeding tubes, delivering specially formulated liquid formula directly to their stomach or intestines via the nose (nasogastric/nasojejunal), or sometimes directly into the stomach through the abdominal wall (gastrostomy/PEG tube) for long-term feeding, bypassing chewing and swallowing. This process, called enteral nutrition, provides essential fluids, calories, protein, and vitamins, managed by dietitians, while intravenous (IV) fluids handle hydration and medications if needed.
 

What is brain dead vs. coma?

Brain death is the irreversible, complete loss of all brain and brainstem function, meaning the person is legally and medically dead, with no chance of recovery, while a coma is a state of deep unconsciousness where the person is alive, has some brain activity, and may potentially recover, progress to a vegetative state, or eventually, brain death. The key difference is reversibility and presence of brain function: comas involve some function and potential, whereas brain death involves zero function and is permanent.
 

What does a coma feel like?

A coma feels like a profound, dreamless void, a complete absence of consciousness, awareness, and voluntary movement, often described as being "blackout drunk" or in "deep sleep without dreams," with no perception of time or surroundings, though some report faint awareness or sounds, and others experience sensations like pain or pleasure despite being unconscious. It's a medical state of deep unconsciousness, not normal sleep, where the brain's activity is greatly reduced. 

Can a coma patient squeeze your hand?

Put simply, a comatose patient will typically have closed eyes, and will be entirely non-responsive to any form of external stimulation (for example, if you ask them to squeeze your hand, they will not).

What is the shortest a coma can be?

A coma can be very short, lasting just minutes or hours, especially for milder brain injuries or when medically induced for a brief period, but most naturally occurring comas last days to a few weeks, with outcomes depending heavily on the cause and severity of brain damage. While some come out quickly, others progress to vegetative states or have lasting disabilities, making duration highly variable, though longer than a few weeks is less common for recovery, according to this Headway article and this Synapse article. 

Has anyone woken up from a coma after years?

Annie Shapiro (1913–2003) was a Canadian apron shop owner who was in a coma for 29 years because of a massive stroke and suddenly awakened in 1992.

What can trigger a coma?

A coma can be triggered by factors damaging the brain, like head trauma, stroke, or lack of oxygen, or by severe internal issues such as extreme blood sugar levels (diabetes), infections (meningitis, sepsis), toxins, drug/alcohol overdose, or metabolic imbalances from organ failure (liver, kidney). Essentially, anything disrupting the brain's function, blood flow, or chemical balance can induce this state of deep unconsciousness.
 

Can you cry while in a coma?

Yes, people in a coma or similar states (like vegetative or minimally conscious states) can sometimes cry, laugh, or make facial expressions, but these are often reflexive, automatic responses from lower brain centers, not necessarily a sign of conscious emotional understanding or voluntary action, though they can be distressing for family. While a person in a deep coma is unresponsive, these reflex-like emotional expressions can occur as the brain slowly begins to show reactions, sometimes in minimally conscious states where some awareness might be present.
 

What's the longest someone can sleep?

There's no definitive limit, but prolonged sleep is usually due to medical conditions like Kleine-Levin Syndrome (KLS) or hypersomnia, with cases like a 7-year-old sleeping 11 days or a woman sleeping 19 days reported, though normal healthy sleep usually doesn't exceed 20-30 hours, even after sleep deprivation, as the body needs to catch up.
 

Can you pass away while in a coma?

Yes, you can die in a coma, as it's a severe medical state with outcomes ranging from recovery to permanent vegetative states or death, often due to complications like infections, blood clots, or the underlying cause (like severe oxygen deprivation or stroke) leading to brain death, which is the irreversible cessation of all brain function.
 

Can a coma be reversed?

Yes, a coma can be reversible, especially if the underlying cause is identified and treated quickly, with outcomes ranging from full recovery to permanent disability or even death, depending on the cause, severity, and duration, as some causes like low blood sugar are easily fixed while severe brain trauma is less so. Recovery is often gradual, and many people transition from coma to other states like minimally conscious states, with many regaining full awareness over time, though comas rarely last more than a few weeks. 

Who was the girl in a coma for 37 years?

Elaine Esposito (December 3, 1934 – November 25, 1978) held the record for the longest period of time in a coma according to Guinness World Records, having lost consciousness in 1941 and eventually dying in that condition more than 37 years later.

How long are you allowed to stay in a coma?

A coma's duration varies greatly, from hours to days, weeks, months, or even years, depending on the underlying cause and severity of brain injury, with most lasting a few weeks, but some prolonged cases extending for decades, like Elaine Esposito's record of over 37 years. While many recover consciousness, others transition to vegetative or minimally conscious states, or face poor outcomes, making recovery unpredictable. 

How are coma patients kept alive?

Coma patients are kept alive through intensive supportive care, primarily by managing breathing with ventilators, providing nutrition and fluids via feeding tubes (gastric tubes), and preventing complications like infections and bedsores through regular turning, skin care, and range-of-motion exercises, while treating the underlying cause of the coma (like brain swelling or bleeding) to stabilize the patient.
 

How long do people get knocked out for?

People can be knocked out for anywhere from seconds to minutes, hours, or even longer, depending on the force and nature of the head injury, with shorter periods (seconds to minutes) often seen in sports and longer periods indicating severe, dangerous trauma requiring immediate medical attention. While brief unconsciousness (seconds/minutes) can sometimes be recovered from with a concussion, prolonged loss of consciousness (over a minute, hours) signals serious brain injury like swelling, bleeding, and potentially permanent damage, with longer durations correlating to more severe brain injury classifications. 

Who is the longest coma survivor?

The longest coma survivor is often cited as Edwarda O'Bara, who remained in a diabetic coma for over 42 years (1970-2012), though she never fully awoke, while Munira Abdulla is known for waking up after nearly 27 years in a coma (1991-2018). Elaine Esposito previously held the record for the longest coma (37+ years) before her death in 1978, and Terry Wallis famously emerged from a 19-year minimally conscious state in 2003.