- Symptoms of epilepsy
- Diagnosis of epilepsy
- Main causes of epilepsy
- Epilepsy Treatment
- First aid during an epileptic seizure
Epilepsy is a disease of the central nervous system where intense electrical discharges occur that cannot be controlled by the person himself, causing symptoms such as uncontrolled body movements and tongue biting, for example.
This neurological disease has no cure, but it can be controlled with medications indicated by the neurologist, such as Carbamazepine or Oxcarbazepine. In most cases, those who have epilepsy can have a normal life, but they must undergo treatment for life to avoid attacks.
Anyone can have an epileptic seizure at some point in life that can be caused by head trauma, diseases such as meningitis or excessive alcohol consumption, for example. And in these cases, when controlling the cause, epilepsy episodes disappear completely.
Symptoms of epilepsy
The most common symptoms of an epileptic seizure are:
- Loss of consciousness; Muscle contractions; Bite of the tongue; Urinary incontinence; Mental confusion.
In addition, epilepsy is not always manifested by spasms of the muscles, as in the case of an absence crisis, in which the individual stands still, with a vague look, as if disconnected from the world for about 10 to 30 seconds. Know other symptoms of this type of crisis in: How to identify and treat the absence crisis.
Seizures usually last from 30 seconds to 5 minutes, but there are cases where they can remain for up to half an hour and in these situations there may be brain damage with irreversible damage.
Diagnosis of epilepsy
The diagnosis of epilepsy is made with a detailed description of the symptoms presented during an episode of epilepsy and is confirmed through tests such as:
- Electroencephalogram: which evaluates brain activity; Blood test: to assess the levels of sugar, calcium and sodium, because when their values are very low they can lead to epilepsy attacks; Electrocardiogram: to check if the cause of the epilepsy is caused by heart problems; Tomography or MRI: to check if the epilepsy is caused by cancer or stroke. Lumbar puncture: to check if it is caused by a brain infection.
These exams should be performed, preferably, at the time of the epileptic seizure because when performed outside the seizure, they may not show any brain alteration.
Main causes of epilepsy
Epilepsy can affect individuals of any age, including babies or the elderly, and can be caused by several factors such as:
- Head trauma after hitting the head or hemorrhage inside the brain; Malformation of the brain during pregnancy; Presence of neurological syndromes such as West's Syndrome or Lennox-Gastaud Syndrome; Neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's or Stroke; Lack of oxygen during childbirth; Low blood sugar levels or decreased calcium or magnesium; Infectious diseases such as meningitis, encephalitis or neurocysticercosis; Tumor in the brain; High fever; Pre-genetic disposition.
Sometimes, the cause of epilepsy is not identified, in which case it is called idiopathic epilepsy and can be triggered by factors such as loud sounds, bright flashes or going to sleep for many hours, for example. Pregnancy can also cause an increase in epileptic seizures, so in this case, see what to do here.
Generally, the first seizure occurs between 2 and 14 years of age and, in the case of seizures that occur before 2 years of age, they are related to brain defects, chemical imbalances or very high fevers. Convulsive seizures that start after the age of 25 are probably due to head trauma, stroke or tumor.
Epilepsy Treatment
The treatment of epilepsy is done by taking anticonvulsants for life indicated by the neurologist, such as Phenobarbital, Valproate, Clonazepam and Carbamazepine, as these drugs help the individual to control brain activity.
However, about 30% of patients diagnosed with epilepsy are unable to control seizures even with medications and, therefore, in some cases, such as neurocysticercosis, surgery may be indicated. Find out more details of Epilepsy Treatment.
First aid during an epileptic seizure
During an epileptic attack, the person should be placed on his side to facilitate breathing, and he should not be moved during the seizures, removing objects that may fall or hurt the person. The crisis should pass within 5 minutes, if it takes longer it is recommended to take the person to the emergency room or call an ambulance by calling 192. Learn what to do in the Epilepsy Crisis.
