Probably a very stupid question but I can’t wrap my head around it. For instance if someone had head trauma, why can they not wake up after a few days or so? What is it that keeps them unconscious for such a duration of time with nothing to wake them?
Edit: i’m confused why this got so many upvotes but thanks😁
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This stuff is complicated, I’ll make it as simple as I can but I’m sorry in advance for any inaccuracies made for the sake of explanation
You have basic brain functions that are the most important things your brain does to keep you alive and you do those unconsciously. Like keeping your heart beating or keep your lungs breathing. You might lose some of these functions or maybe they’re a lot weaker than before the coma and need help to keep you alive, like from a ventilator (a machine that breathes for you). It varies from injury to injury.
You also have higher, more complicated, brain functions like consciousness and thought.
These are controlled by different areas of your brain. The complicated stuff is mostly in the main brain 🧠 and the simpler stuff is mostly in the base of the brain.
Knocking out the complicated stuff is much easier than knocking out the simple dumb stuff. And when you just knock out the higher functions you get a coma.
Now why can’t you wake up? Well first, you’re not asleep. You just don’t have consciousness. The car doesn’t have a working engine to get moving but the battery is still working so the lights still turn on.
Sometimes the damage can heal but it’s a very complicated and finicky process. And you will slowly regain consciousness. Sometimes it doesn’t and you’re just left with the base, unconscious functions.
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