The people who suffer from epilepsy spent most of his first year in high school worried about the possibility of having an epileptic seizure in front of his classmates.
Although his teachers and friends knew that he was suffering from epilepsy and we knew that he would be treated well in case he had an attack, he is was always worried about the shame that could happen and what might scare his friends.
What is epilepsy?
Epilepsy is a condition of the nervous system that affects 70 million persons with epilepsy (PWE) worldwide, nearly 12 million PWE are expected to reside in India. Witnessing an epileptic seizure is something that can scare you a lot.
The person may lose consciousness or appear to be unaware of what is happening, make involuntary movements (which the person cannot control, such as wallowing or nervously stir one or more parts of the body) and/or experience sensations or feelings outside of the ordinary (as inexplicable fears). After the attack, you may feel tired, weak or confused.
People have seizures when their brain electrical signals become disorganized. Normal brain electrical activity is disturbed by these excessive electrical discharges, which generate a temporary communication problem between nerve cells.
However, the fact that a person has a seizure does not necessarily mean that they suffer from epilepsy. These types of attacks can be triggered in any person subjected to certain circumstances, such as a severe episode of dehydration or exposure to excessive temperatures.
But, when a person experiences repeated seizures for no apparent reason, he is said to suffer from epilepsy. There are many people who develop epilepsy during childhood or adolescence and others who develop it later. In some people suffering from epilepsy (especially in children), seizures become less frequent progressively and may disappear completely.
What causes epilepsy?
This is a complicated question since it lacks a clear and obvious answer. Often doctors cannot accurately identify the cause of epilepsy in a particular person. But scientists know that there are some factors that can make a person more likely to develop this condition; These include the following:
- A brain injury, such as those derived from traffic accidents
- An infection or disease that impacted the brain development of the fetus during pregnancy
- Lack of oxygen in the baby's brain during birth
- Meningitis, encephalitis or any other type of infection that affects the brain
- Brain tumor or stroke
- Lead or alcohol poisoning or poisoning
Epilepsy is a condition that cannot be spread (so no one can “hit” you). It is not transmitted from parents to children (or inherited) in the same way as eye color or hair color. But a person who has a close relative with epilepsy has a slightly higher risk of developing it than a person without a history.
Understand seizures
Seizures can scare those who present them a lot, but they are not painful. They affect different people in different ways. Seizures suffered by epileptics can be classified into one of the following main categories: partial seizures and generalized seizures.
1. Partial seizures: The partial seizures start in one part of the brain. Subsequently, the electrical anomaly can move to other parts of the brain or concentrate only in that area until the crisis ends.
A person who suffers a partial seizure may lose consciousness. You may have seizures in one or more fingers, a hand or an arm, a leg or afoot, as well as certain facial muscles.
Your speech may be difficult to understand, unclear or strange during the crisis. The person's sight may also be temporarily affected.
And it is possible for the affected person to experience tingling on one side of the body. Everything will depend on the part of the brain where the abnormal electrical activity takes place.
2. Generalized seizures: The generalized seizures involve an abnormal electrical activity that affects the whole brain together. The person may appear to be daydreaming, staring into the distance or losing consciousness completely.
Your muscles may tense or seize and you can start making sudden convulsive movements, such as extending your arms outward. You may start limping suddenly, stumble and fall or collapse on the ground.
Most seizures only last a few seconds or minutes. After suffering a seizure, the person may feel sleepy or confused for a few minutes or even an hour or more.
A person who has just suffered a seizure may not remember the crisis or what happened immediately before it. And it is also possible that it is clear and in perfect condition to resume what I was doing before suffering it. It is something that varies from one person to another.
There are some things that can trigger seizures in people suffering from epilepsy. Among them, the following are included:
- Intense, intermittent or twinkling lights
- Lack of sleep
- Stress
- Excessive stimulation (such as staring at the computer screen or playing video games for too long)
- fever
- Certain medications
- Hyperventilation (breathing too fast or too deep)
What do doctors do?
Doctors who specialize in the brain and other parts of the nervous system are called neurologists. If you think you may have had a seizure, it is important that you tell your doctor. Most likely, you will be referred to a neurologist, who will evaluate if you have epilepsy or another type of condition.
Apart from having a physical examination , the neurologist will ask for information about any symptoms you have and anything that worries you, your current state of health and the diseases or conditions you have suffered in the past, the health of your family, the medications that you take, the allergies you suffer and other issues.
With this information, you will prepare your medical history. It is important that you provide a description as accurate as possible of the seizure you have suffered. Since people who have seizures may not remember anything about them, it is a good idea to get a detailed description of it from an eyewitness, whose story you can write down so you do not forget.
Most likely, the neurologist will ask you for a medical test called an electroencephalogram (or EEG), which allows you to evaluate the electrical activity of the brain.
You may also be asked for diagnostic imaging tests, such as a brain computed tomography (CT) scan or a brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). All these techniques are completely painless.
If the neurologist concludes that a person suffers from epilepsy, he will recommend the appropriate treatment. The treatment of epilepsy usually involves medication, although there are occasions when other types of treatment are recommended.
The goal of treatment is to control seizures so that the affected person can live as normal a life as possible. In some cases, doctors may implant a device called a vagus nerve stimulator. This device sends signals through the vagus nerve in the neck to control seizures.
The doctor may also recommend a ketogenic diet, a special diet that can help people affected by epilepsy who do not respond well to medication alone.
Sometimes doctors have to perform a surgical intervention directly on brain tissue to those patients who suffer from epilepsy that cannot be controlled using other treatments.
Live with epilepsy
People with epilepsy can lead a normal life. Many athletes, writers, politicians, businessmen, doctors, parents, and actors suffer from this condition.
If you have epilepsy, you can continue to participate in extracurricular activities, go out with your friends, have a boyfriend or girlfriend and find a job. The doctor will instruct you on the precautions you should take to protect yourself in different situations.
For example, adolescents with epilepsy can practice swimming, but they should always swim accompanied by other people to ensure their safety.
Anyway, and even though you have to adopt these simple safety precautions, you can enjoy everything your classmates enjoy. People affected by epilepsy can drive, provided that this condition is well controlled from a medical point of view.
Explain to your relatives (friends, relatives, teachers, coaches) that you suffer from epilepsy and teach them what they should do if you have a seizure crisis in front of them. Some of the things that people can do to help someone suffering from a seizure are the following:
- Keep calm.
- Help, without forcing, the person to lie on one side, preferably on a soft surface, and place something soft under the head.
- Remove your glasses and/or backpack and loosen any tight garments that you wear around your neck.
- Do not hold or grab the person.
- Remove from the person those objects that could be dangerous, especially those that are sharp or hard.
- Stay with the person or make sure that a friend or other trusted person stays by your side.
- Talk to the person in a calm and calm voice, transmitting security once the crisis is sent.
- Be attentive and aware of what happens to describe what happened before, during and after the crisis.
- Do not put any object into the person's mouth during the seizure.
It is not usually necessary to call the emergency number (911 in the US, 999 in the United Kingdom and 112 in the rest of the EU) ( emergency helpline number in India is "112" just because a person suffering from epilepsy has a seizure. Anyway, if the person is injured during the crisis, has another medical condition (such as diabetes), has a very long crisis or multiple crises in a row, it may require medical attention.
The word epilepsy can be quite scary, but its management can be quite simple. If you suffer from epilepsy, follow your treatment plan. He sleeps a lot. Eat well. And exercise to reduce stress and stay fit.
For More Information about Epilepsy.
Epilepsy.com
Epilepsy
Association of Calgary
Hawaii
Epilepsy Center
British
Epilepsy Association
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