All You Need To Know About Epilepsy

All You Need To Know About Epilepsy

What Is Epilepsy?

Epilepsy is a neurological disorder that causes brain activity to become abnormal, resulting in seizures or periods of loss of awareness, unusual behavior, and sensations. 

A person experiences a seizure when there is an unexpected rush of electrical activity in the brain. In this condition, one can experience two types of seizures—generalized, which affects the entire brain. Partial or focal seizure, these are contained in just one part of the brain.

These seizures can result in spasms and uncontrollable muscle movements and might last from a few seconds to several minutes. Sometimes, a mild seizure can also occur that last only for a few seconds without physical symptoms, but the person having it can lose awareness.

Epilepsy can affect anyone, male, female, people from different ages, races, and ethnic backgrounds, but it is prevalent in young children and older people. Men are also affected slightly more than women form this condition.

What Are The Symptoms Of Epilepsy?

The signs of this condition vary from person to person and depend upon the type of seizure they have.

Generalized seizures

A person can experience one of the six forms of these seizures, which include:

• Absence seizures are previously known as “petit mal seizures,” making a person stare blankly. It also results in repetitive movements like blinking or lip-smacking. People even lose awareness for a short while during this seizure.

• Tonic seizures make the muscles stiff.

• Atonic seizures cause loss of muscle control. A person having this seizure might suddenly fall.

• Clonic seizures result in repeated and jerky movements of face, neck, and arms muscles. 

• Myoclonic seizures cause rapid twitching of arms and legs.

• Tonic-clonic seizures, previously called “grand mal seizures,” have the following symptoms:

• Shaking

• Biting of the tongue

• Stiffening of the body

• Loss of consciousness

• Loss of bowel or bladder control

Partial or focal seizures

Focal seizures without the loss of consciousness can result in the following symptoms:

• Dizziness

• Changes in the sense of smell, taste, hearing, touch, or sight

• Twitching and tingling of limbs

People who get a complex focal seizure involving loss of consciousness or awareness might experience the following symptoms:

• Unresponsiveness 

• Performing repetitive movements

• Staring blankly

What Are The Causes Of Epilepsy?

 The actual single cause of this condition is not known. Experts believe that many factors might influence the development of this disorder, including:

Genetic influence

Various types of epilepsy seizures a person can experience might run in their family. To some extent, genetics play a crucial role in the development of this disorder.

Head trauma

A traumatic injury to the head resulting from a car accident or any other incident can also cause this disorder.

Brain conditions

Brain tumors, strokes, and other medical conditions that might damage the brain can also result in the development of epilepsy. Stroke is significantly responsible for causing this condition in people over the age of 35.

Infectious diseases

AIDS, meningitis, and viral encephalitis are some infectious diseases that can cause epilepsy.

Prenatal injury

Unborn children are susceptible to brain damage that can occur due to various factors, including poor nutrition, oxygen deficiencies, or an infection in the mother. Brain damage might result in epilepsy.

Developmental disorders

Disorders, such as neurofibromatosis and autism, can also contribute to the development of this disorder.

What Are The Risk Factors For Epilepsy?

Several factors might increase the risk of epilepsy. These include:

Age

Though epilepsy can occur at any age, older adults and children are more susceptible to develop this disorder.

Family history

People with someone in their family suffering from this disorder have a heightened risk of developing this condition.

Head injuries

Injuries sustained from car accidents also contribute significantly to the development of epilepsy. It is a risk that people can minimize by being more careful. Doing simple things, like wearing a seatbelt in the car, or wearing a helmet while cycling or riding a motorcycle, can protect from head injuries.

Stoke and vascular diseases

Blood vessel (vascular) disease and stroke can cause brain damage that might lead to epilepsy. Avoiding alcohol, cigarettes, and eating healthy and doing exercise can minimize the risk of these diseases.

Dementia

In older people, dementia can increase the risk of developing epilepsy.

Brain infections

Infections in the brain, such as meningitis that cause inflammation in the spinal cord, can also contribute to the development of conditions like epilepsy. 

Childhood seizures

People who experience prolonged seizures during their childhood might develop epilepsy later in their life. Those who had seizures because of high fevers do not have a significant risk of getting this disorder.

What Complications Can Epilepsy Cause?

Epilepsy episodes often lead to circumstances that might be dangerous for the person having the seizure and others around them.

• The possibility of falling during a seizure increases the risk of head injury or breaking a bone.

• An episode of epilepsy during swimming can prove to be fatal. People with this condition are 15 to 19 times more likely to drown due to the possibility of experiencing a seizure.

• A seizure can also cause a person to lose awareness or consciousness. It is extremely dangerous if they get a seizure while driving or operating a machine.

• The possibility of a seizure during pregnancy poses a significant danger to both mother and baby. Additionally, some anti-epilepsy medicines can also increase the risk of congenital disabilities.

• People with epilepsy also have various psychological issues, including depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and behavior. The mental issues might be a direct result of this disorder, or can be a because of the side effects of the medication.

When To See A Doctor?

A person should get medical attention if any they experience any of the following:

• They had a seizure that lasted more than five years

• They have difficulty regaining consciousness or normal breathing after the seizure

• Another seizure hits them immediately after the first one

• They have a high fever at the time of seizure

• They experience heat exhaustion following the seizure

• If a seizure occurs during pregnancy

• If they have diabetes

• If they injured themselves or others during the seizure

What Are The Treatments For Epilepsy?

It is not much hard to manage epilepsy. The treatment a person gets depends on the severity of symptoms, their health, and how well their body responds to therapy.

Epilepsy treatment options include the following:

Anti-epileptic drugs

These drugs help decrease the number of seizures a person has. In some cases, these medicines might eliminate the seizures. It is vital to take medication as per the prescription to get the desired results. 

Vagus nerve stimulator

It is a device that doctors put surgically under the skin on the chest. It electrically stimulates the nerve that runs through the neck to prevent seizures. 

Ketogenic diet

Most people who don’t respond to the medication can benefit from high fat and low carbohydrate diet.

Brain surgery

In this procedure, a surgeon might alter or remove the brain’s area responsible for causing seizures.

Medications for Epilepsy

Antiseizure medications are usually the first-line treatment for this condition. These medicines help reduce the severy and frequency of seizures. While useful in preventing seizures, these drugs cannot stop a seizure that is already in progress, and these are certainly not a cure for epilepsy.

These drugs work by affecting the neurotransmitters in the brain to suppress the electrical activity that causes a seizure. 

A doctor can prescribe a single drug or a combination of antiseizure medications, depending on the type of seizure a person has.

Some of the typical epilepsy medications include:

• Ethosuximide (Zarontin)

• Carbamazepine (Tegretol)

• Valproic acid (Depakote)

• Topiramate (Topamax)

• Lamotrigine (Lamictal)

• Levetiracetam (Keppra)

These medicines are available in tablet, capsule, liquid, and injection form. All the different types of medications work similarly, and also exhibit similar side effects:

• Dizziness 

• Skin rash

• Memory problems

• Fatigue

• Poor coordination

Final words

Epilepsy is such a condition that might affect anybody. There is no hard and fast rule to determine who can and cannot develop this disorder. There are undoubtedly several factors that influence the chances of someone developing this condition.

Doctors can prescribe medications and dietary changes to help manage the epilepsy episodes and keep the frequency and number of seizures under control. If medication and other treatments don’t work, doctors might perform brain surgery to remove the root cause.

While there is no definite cure for epilepsy, undergoing treatment might significantly help the person suffering from constant seizures.