Epilepsy can be understood as a central nervous system disorder in which brain activity becomes abnormal, thus causing frequent seizures. Though symptoms might vary widely, anyone can develop epilepsy. Though there is the possibility of it occurring at any age, most commonly it either begins in childhood or affects those that are over sixty.
Since epilepsy is caused by abnormal activity in the brain, it can affect any process that is coordinated by your brain. Seizures usually affect people in different ways, depending on the part of the brain that is involved. Generally, some of the warning signs that can appear before a seizure are
Symptoms vary depending on the type of seizure but in most cases, a person with epilepsy will have the same type of seizure most of the time.
Doctors tend to classify seizures into two distinctive types, namely:
When seizures are resulting from just one affected area of your brain that is impacted by abnormal activity, it is called a Focal Seizure. Focal seizures can be classified into two categories:
Focal Onset Aware Seizure: This refers to seizures where the patient is awake and aware during the seizure. Healthcare providers once called this a simple partial seizure. The symptoms of this seizure include :
Focal Onset Impaired Awareness Seizure: This refers to seizures where the patient becomes confused or loses awareness or consciousness during the seizure. This seizure type used to be called a complex partial seizure. While experiencing this kind of seizure, the patient can feel like they’re in a dream or they might not respond normally to their environment and perform repetitive gestures. Symptoms of this seizure may include:
Generalised seizures, also known as generalised onset seizures, are seizures that are affected by a widespread network of cells that cover all the areas of your brain in a general sense. In total, there are six types of generalised seizures, they are
Epilepsy is a very mysterious condition and in most cases, it’s hard to pinpoint what causes epilepsy in a person but certain factors can increase your chances of being affected by it:
Genetics: Some types of epilepsy tend to run within families and are passed down from generation to generation. These genes typically increase the chances of epilepsy, with many other factors influencing the state of your condition.
Immune Disorders: Certain conditions that cause your immune system to attack your brain cells, such as autoimmune diseases can cause epilepsy.
Metabolic Disorders: Having metabolic disorders also increases your risk of epilepsy.
Head injuries: Head Injuries from accidents such as a vehicular accident or an injury resulting from a strong or fatal blow to the head can also cause epilepsy.
Brain Infections: Brain infections such as brain abscess, meningitis, encephalitis and neurocysticercosis can also be accompanied by epilepsy in some cases.
Diagnosing epilepsy is usually quite a comprehensive process. Since experiencing seizures alone doesn’t indicate epilepsy, to diagnose you, your physician might take into consideration certain factors and medical history and run some tests to confirm it.
To prepare an individualised treatment plan, your physician might quiz you on the following factors;
Treating epilepsy usually involves regular intake of medicines and strict management of your diet intake and routine. In case of a more complicated situation, your physician might recommend surgery or the use of certain devices to treat it well. In general, your epilepsy treatment might comprise of this:
Anti-Seizure Medications: Anti-seizure medication usually works for about 60% to 70% of people with epilepsy. The prescription will usually be individualised, with your physician prescribing one or more medications, doses of medications or combinations of medications depending on what works best for you.
Usually, these factors are taken into consideration:
Diet Therapy: Diets such as the Ketogenic diet and the modified Atkins diet, which are high in fat, moderate in protein and low in carbohydrates are usually recommended for people with epilepsy. This is mostly recommended for children and patients who aren’t in dire need of surgery.
Surgery & Devices: Your physician might move forward with surgery if your epilepsy cannot be treated through medication and diet, especially if your seizures are severe and debilitating. Some neuromodulating devices can also be used to regulate your seizures depending on the frequency and severity of your seizures.
Living with epilepsy can be a daunting task. Given that it’s an unpredictable and dangerous condition, certain precautions and measures are needed in place for a person to be able to adjust to it. To begin with, a person with epilepsy must learn how to manage their seizures when it strikes:
With just the right amount of care and regular consultations with your dedicated physician, epilepsy can be managed well at your own gradual pace.
