Many observed that Homer Simpson has short attention span and has the habit of dozing off every now and then. Apparently, he will be diagnosed with a condition called narcolepsy in this season's premiere episode. This serious medical condition is no laughing matter and the catch? It will cause them to eventually separate.
After several years, doctors were finally able to determine his disease. Narcolepsy was seen as the culprit that placed a strain on their marriage for years.
But what exactly is narcolepsy? Narcolepsy is a chronic brain disorder that causes poor control of sleep-wake cycles causing extreme daytime sleepiness and sudden bouts of sleep that can strike anytime, anywhere. It may seem just a simple condition but it can be extremely dangerous, reports the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
It causes the person to suddenly fall asleep that may cause alteration of daily activities. They can instantly fall asleep while at work or in school. They can also fall asleep during a conversation, a meal and worst, while driving. There are also other symptoms associated with narcolepsy such as cataplexy or the loss of voluntary muscle tone while awake that makes a person go limp, hallucinations and paralysis.
Russell Rosenberg, chief executive of the Atlanta School of Sleep Medicine told CNN, "I certainly hope that Homer's story will bring more attention to narcolepsy." He added, "He's not the typical case, although the fact that he is now being identified as having narcolepsy does exemplify the fact that many people can go years and years without getting the proper diagnosis. Who knows if they have a sleep specialist or sleep laboratory in Springfield?"
The focus that the show will give to narcolepsy will shed light to the disease making more people aware of this condition. However, Julie Flygare, a narcolepsy advocate wrote in her blog, "What really hurts is thinking about children and young adults with narcolepsy, these everyday superheroes, who will be watching The Simpsons in September."
"They will likely see a distorted version of their illness lead to marriage breakup. A little piece of hope will die that day," she added.
The Simpsons will eventually show how it is to live with narcolepsy and the realities of the life of people diagnosed with it.
