due to a sudden shock of any kind or medical illness u can become un
consiousness. this is recoverable and the patient will come to normal after some time. But coma is not like that, any body who has gone to coma state we cant say when the patient will recover or turn as a vegetable only till death.

Answered by ANANTHA , an ibibo Citizen, at 9:27 PM on March 15, 2009

The word coma comes from the Greek word koma, which means "state of sleep." But being in a coma is not the same as being asleep. You can awaken someone who is asleep by talking to them or touching them. The same is not true for a comatose person -- he is alive and breathing, but so unconscious that he can't respond to any stimuli (such as pain or the sound of a voice) or perform any voluntary actions. The brain is still functioning, but at its most basic level.
The word unconsciousness can be used as an adjective and as a noun. When used as an adjective it means `not awake' or aware of and not responding to one's environment. When used as a noun then it is referred to as part of the mind which is inaccessible to the conscious mind but which affects behavior and emotion, according to Dr. A. V. Srinivasan, an eminent neurophysician .

The unconsciousness state may be prolonged or brief. A brief period of unconsciousness may set in after a trauma such as seizures of fits. There may be a momentary one due to concussion. The prolonged period of unconsciousness is called coma.

Unconsciousness or impaired consciousness can be categorized as coma due to primary brain injury or disease (ex) head trauma, tumor, infection, seizures and strokes.

Or the coma may be due to systemic diseases affecting the brain subconsciously. These include physical conditions such as heat strokes, heat exhaustion, deficiency of thiamine (B12) or due to failure of organs such as the liver or kidney.

The levels of unconsciousness can be measured clinically on a scale called the Glasgow Coma Scale. This gives the depth of the coma. The total measure on the scale is 15 and the minimal scale is 3. Clinically coma can be quantified only on this scale. For example, the eye opening state has got 4 points, speech 5 points and motor movements 6 points on the scale. So a person in deep coma will score 3 points on the scale.
clinically the level of consciousness can vary from fully conscious state which is defined as a state in which there is awareness of the self to the comatose state of unraisable unresponsiveness

Answered by Laxmikantha , an ibibo Master, at 7:20 AM on March 15, 2009

Coma is a state of deep prolonged sleep. Origin of the word coma is from the Greek word `Koma' meaning deep sleep.

The word unconciousness can be used as an adjective and as a noun. When used as an adjective it means `not awake' or aware of and not responding to one's environment. When used as a noun then it is referred to as part of the mind which is inaccessible to the conscious mind but which affects behaviour and emotion, according to Dr. A. V. Srinivasan, an eminent neurophysician .

The unconsciousness state may be prolonged or brief. A brief period of unconsciousness may set in after a trauma such as seizures of fits. There may be a momentary one due to concussion. The prolonged period of unconsciousness is called coma.

Unconsciousness or impaired consciousness can be categorised as coma due to primary brain injury or disease (ex) head trauma, tumour, infection, seizures and strokes.

Or the coma may be due to systemic diseases affecting the brain subconsciously. These include physical conditions such as heat strokes, heat exhaustion, deficiency of thiamine (B12) or due to failure of organs such as the liver or kidney.

Answered by karthik pai , an ibibo Citizen, at 8:27 PM on March 14, 2009