Signs and Symptoms
Ondine's curse is associated with respiratory arrests during sleep and, with incomplete penetrance, to: neuroblastoma (tumors of the sympathetic ganglia), Hirschsprung disease (partial agenesis of the enteric nervous system), dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) and anomalies of the pupilla. Other symptoms include darkening of skin color from inadequate amounts of oxygen, drowsiness, fatigue, headaches, and an inability to sleep at night. Victims of Ondine's curse also suffer from a sensitivity to sedatives and narcotics which make respiration even more difficult for the patient. A low concentration of oxygen in the red blood cells also may cause high blood pressure culminating in cor pulmonale or a failure of the right side of the heart.
Read more about this topic: Ondine's Curse
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