This is a type of functional disorder of the nervous system in which suddenly excessive discharge of nerve impulse takes place from the brain. Epilepsy is usually started before age of 30. People generally call it fits.
Epilepsy is a life-threatening disease for those people who do not take care of themselves and for those who do not consult with a doctor.
What are seizures?
The abnormal bursts of impulses from neurons that cause the body to behave strongly are called seizures.
If someone has a seizure only one time it means that the person has no epilepsy. The seizures of epilepsy may come many times.
The characteristics of seizures are they are spontaneous, they keep happening, the symptoms are the same each time, the seizures stop usually after a few seconds or minutes.
What is a tonic-clonic seizure?
A tonic-clonic seizure is the most common variety of epilepsy.
In tonic-clonic seizures the patient becomes unconscious.
Due to the loss of their consciousness, they fall to the ground.
Sometimes the patient tongue comes under his teeth and a cut is formed in the tongue.
In the state of unconsciousness urine discharges.
The seizure lasts for a few seconds to a few minutes.
The seizure which lasts for more than 4 or 5 minutes is a medical emergency.
Types of seizures
- The main type of seizure is a tonic-clonic seizure.
- The second type of epileptic seizure is that most people think about is the petit mal also known as the absence seizures and these seizures most often seen in children.
Some other types of seizures are;
- Blank stares, chewing, funny sensations in one part of the body, sudden unexplained giggling, and sudden unexplained jerks.
Some other varieties of epilepsy
There are many varieties of epilepsy. Some are of the following.
1. Someone feels flashes of light in front of their eyes for a few seconds is also a variety of epilepsy.
2. If someone lost their consciousness for a few seconds and the person in front of that person feels that he/she is not listening to his/her voice and was not in his consciousness. And that person who had lost their consciousness will say I do not remember anything. So this is also a variety of epilepsy.
3. A person will felt paresthesia in his arm, leg, or both for some time, and then he became normal. This is also a variety of epilepsy.
For example;
For better understanding, I am telling you some general information.
When an electrical discharge spread to the billions of neurons all over the body then tonic clinic seizure will occur in an epileptic patient and when that electrical discharge spread only to some specific parts of the body then the other varieties of seizures will occur in epileptic patients like paresthesia in arms or legs occurs due to the electrical discharge spread to only those neurons which are in arms or legs.
What is the difference between seizures and epilepsy?
A seizure occurs due to discharge and when the seizure occurs without any reason then this is called epilepsy.
For example;
A patient has diabetes and his sugar level becomes too low from the extent and he does not eat food so it will irritate the neurons of the brain and as a result, sparkling occurs in the brain and the seizure occurred d to a patient. So the seizure in the above example had a reason so that's why it is called only a seizure.
Similarly when a seizure occurs to a patient without any reason and then the seizure reoccur after some time so this is called epilepsy.
Symptoms of epilepsy
As we all know that epilepsy is a disorder of the nervous system. So epilepsy is considered a serious disease.
The symptoms of epilepsy are;
- In tonic-clonic seizures the patient's body becomes very rigid with severe muscle stiffening and jerking may last for several minutes afterward the person is limp and often can't respond over the minutes. The patient gradually becomes responsive and awakens. Although many peoples talk about feel washed out for many hours after such seizures.
- In absence seizures, the person stops doing whatever it is that he was doing stares or sometimes blinks the eyes many times before immediately returning to whatever it was that he was doing and was completely unaware that there were any interruption. These seizures completely last five to ten seconds. It can be shorter or much longer. And these seizures occurs 40 times a day or more.
- Loss of consciousness is also a symptom of epilepsy but in some types of epilepsy, may the epileptic patients are in their consciousness.
- The taste of epileptic patients changes.
- An epileptic patient can also feel an aura before the seizure. An aura includes visual changes.
- An epileptic patient feels too confused before a seizure.
- Some epilepsy patients simply experience an odd feeling and some may have convulsions (shaking of the body) or may also lose consciousness.
- The patient's hands are clenched and they frequently bite their tongue.
What to do when an epileptic patient suffers from a seizure
The quick aid to an epileptic patient who suffered from a seizure is given below;
1. Put a cushion or soft thing under the head.
2. Loosen the tight clothing.
3. Turn an epileptic patient on the side.
4. Do not put anything in the mouth of an epileptic patient.
5. Note the duration of the seizure.
6. Offer help after the seizure ends.
What are the causes of epilepsy?
Epilepsy may be caused by changes in the brain due to many reasons. Other diseases like stroke, head injuries and the wrong use of drugs may also cause an epilepsy.
Preventions and triggers of epilepsy
1. You have to take your tablets at the time and every single day and normally the treatment is from 3 to 5 years so after taking the tablets for a while you miss a tablet you are likely to have a very severe seizures. Also don't change the brand of a tablet without the doctor's permission because it will also effect you.
2. The patient should change his/her lifestyle so as we know that one of the most important trigger is taking less sleep so if you take less sleep every night then the risk of a seizure will very high and can effect you. So take good sleep about 6-8 hours.
3. Fasting is not good for the people with epilepsy because when the blood sugar falls it can trigger a seizure. So eating good and healthy food regularly is really very important for the person having epilepsy.
4. Exposure to high heat can also trigger epilepsy so do not spend time in sun and near the stove.
5. Drink enough water everyday because dehydration is another common trigger of epilepsy.
6. Another common trigger of epilepsy especially in some kinds of patients is watching television or phone and flashing graphics like video games can also trigger epilepsy/fits. So avoid watching phone or too much TV.
7. In photosensative epilepsy the patients are more prone. They can even trigger a seizure if while they are travelling and if they walk in an escalator and looks down or up and all those striped things can trigger a seizure. It is really a very critical for a person with epilepsy that they should not drive a vehicle because if they have a seizure they can harm theirselves and also others. So do not drive a car or vehicle if you are an epileptic patient.
Treatment of epilepsy
In the treatment of epilepsy, seizure are controlled. Anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) are used for the treatment of an epileptic patient. These drugs do not completely cure epilepsy, but can prevent seizures from ocuring.
Medicines for epilepsy
Some medicines for an epileptic patients are;
- Carbamazepine
- Diazepam
- Divalproex
- Ethosuximide
- Felbamate
- Gabapentin
- Lacosamide
- Lamotrigine
- Levetiracetam
- Lorazepam
- Oxycarbazepine
- Phenobarbitone
- Phenytoin
- Fosphenytoin
- Primidone
- Pufinamide
- Tiagabine
- Topiramate
- Vigabatrin
- Zonisamide
These are some medicines for epileptic patients but do not use without doctor's advice. Consult your doctor first.
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