Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders. Almost 10-12 million people are affected in India which contributes to nearly one-sixth of the global burden. It is estimated that around 50 million people are living with epilepsy (PWE) globally. The number of epilepsy patients in India is increasing every year. However, the amount of awareness is still low among the people. The right treatment and lifestyle changes can help in epilepsy significantly. In this blog, we will let you know everything about epilepsy to increase awareness. Connect with Neotia Getwel Multispecialty Hospital for any kind of medical assistance.

1. What is Epilepsy?

Epilepsy is a neurological condition which causes patients susceptible to having recurrent unprovoked seizures. It is one of the most common disorders of the nervous system and affects people of all ages, races and ethnic backgrounds.

Now you must be thinking about what causes a seizure. Well, the answer is simple, anything that interrupts the normal connections between nerve cells in the brain can cause a seizure. It can be high fever, low blood sugar, alcohol or drug withdrawal, or a brain concussion. However, when a person suffers from two or more recurrent unprovoked seizures, he or she is considered to have epilepsy.

1.1. What is a seizure?

Our brain is the controller of all voluntary and involuntary responses in the body. Our brain consists of nerve cells that normally communicate with each other through electrical activity. A seizure occurs when part(s) of the brain receives a burst of abnormal electrical signals that temporarily interrupt normal electrical brain function.

2. Types of epilepsy & seizures

a. Focal seizures: Focal seizures happen when abnormal electrical brain function occurs in one or more areas of one side of the brain. It is also named as the partial seizures. In this case, a patient or a child can feel an aura before the actual seizure. According to the medical data, the most common aura has feelings such as such as deja vu, impending doom, fear, or euphoria. Visual changes, hearing abnormalities, or changes in the sense of smell can also be auras.

b. Generalized seizures: Generalised seizures include two sides of the brain which results in loss of consciousness and a postictal state after the seizure occurs.

These two are the main types of epilepsy & seizures. However, there are many sub-parts of these two. Focal seizures have parts like Temporal Lobe Seizures, Frontal Lobe Seizures, Occipital Lobe Seizures and parietal Lobe Seizures. On the other hand, Generalized seizures have sub-parts like Absence Seizures, Myoclonic Seizures & Generalized Tonic-Clonic Seizures.

3. What are the causes of Epilepsy?

There are a lot of causes of epilepsy. However, we are going to divide it among newborns & adults. The causes of epilepsy are-

• The causes of epilepsy in newborns & infants-
• Birth trauma
• Congenital (present at birth) problems
• Fever/infection
• Metabolic or chemical imbalances in the body

The causes of epilepsy in young & adults-

• Alcohol or drugs
• Trauma to the head or brain injury
• Infection
• Congenital conditions
• Genetic factors

These are the basic reasons for epilepsy. However, there can be some other reasons too such as brain tumours, neurological problems, drug withdrawal, some specific medications & use of illicit drugs

4. Symptoms of Epilepsy.

It is important to diagnose the symptoms at an early stage. The symptoms of epilepsy are-

• Staring
• Jerking movements of the arms and legs
• Stiffening of the body
• Loss of consciousness
• Breathing problems or breathing stops
• Loss of bowel or bladder control
• Falling suddenly for no apparent reason, especially when associated with loss of consciousness
• Not responding to noise or words for brief periods
• Appearing confused or in a haze
• Nodding the head rhythmically, when associated with loss of awareness or even loss of consciousness
• Periods of rapid eye blinking and staring

5. How lifestyle changes can help in Epilepsy?

Do you know that lifestyle changes can do wonders for epilepsy? Yes, apart from the medical help patients need to do some specific lifestyle changes to tackle it. Lifestyle modifications are-

a. Sleep pattern: Do you know that fatigue is one of the most common seizure triggers, and disrupted sleep can make the brain more vulnerable to misfiring? So the patients must have an adequate amount of sleep and they should sleep on time too.

b. Avoid or control alcohol &amp: drug consumption: Epilepsy is more common in drug consumers. So, first, avoid it totally. Take professional help if needed. Apart from that, alcohol is one of the most common triggers of seizures. Limit it according to your capability. Even one or two drinks can trigger it.

c. Do exercise regularly: Regular exercise can help you in staying healthy in every way. Regular exercise can help reduce the risk of seizures. However, you should consult your physician before starting a new exercise routine, as some exercises can, rarely, cause seizures.

d. Reduce stress: Well, we know it is difficult. However, it is not impossible. Patients need to reduce stress levels to reduce the amount or intensity of seizures. Stress is one of the most common reasons for seizures.

The above-mentioned changes will help you to control your epilepsy significantly. However, it is important to know the patient’s triggers exactly. For that, the patient can maintain an epilepsy journal. Many times, bright, flashing lights, sleeplessness, certain sounds, activity, skipping meals or medication & hormonal changes can be a trigger. Identification of the triggers will help a lot.

6. Treatment options for Epilepsy:

It is important to keep an on the children for adults and if you see any kind of signs of seizures, connect with a doctor as early as possible. You can connect with Neotia Getwel Multispecialty Hospital at any time because they have a well-established & well-equipped neurology department. They have a number of experienced professionals who will help in tackling epilepsy efficiently. However, apart from epilepsy, the neurology department of Neotia Getwel Multispecialty Hospital has experts in stroke management, migraines, movement disorders & Parkinson’s disease as well.

We will advise you not to go for self-medication ever. However, to inform you, we are informing you of some of the treatment options for epilepsy. The options are-

• Medicines called anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs)
• Surgery to remove a small part of the brain that’s causing the seizures
• A procedure to put a small electrical device inside the body that can help control seizures
• A special diet (ketogenic diet) that can help control seizures

Epilepsy is not a critical disease. However, it needs the right medication at the right time. Some people need treatment for life. But you might be able to stop if your seizures disappear over time. Connect with a doctor, he/she will show you the right path.

Final words: We hope that this blog will remove any kind of confusion regarding epilepsy and will help in choosing the right treatment option too.

Disclaimer

Though all attempts are made to provide correct information on the subject, inadvertent & typographical errors arising out of manual intervention cannot be ruled out. It is requested to bring any such discrepancies to the notice of the blogger for correction