Epilepsy And Seizures: Top Causes, Symptoms And Treatment Options

Epilepsy is a type of seizure disorder. According to World Health Organization (WHO), this disease is "characterised by recurrent seizures, which are brief episodes of involuntary movement that may involve a part of the body (partial) or the entire body (generalised) and are sometimes accompanied by loss of consciousness and control of bowel or bladder function.".

Types of epilepsy seizures

Seizures are defined as aberrant movements in the body due to the chaotic ejection of nerve cells of the brain. There can three types of epilepsy seizures.

1. Symptomatic seizure: the seizure with a definable cause.

2. Idiopathic seizure: the seizure with no definable cause.

3. Cryptogenic seizure: the seizure with a possible cause which is not definable.

Signs and symptoms of epilepsy- having seizures can be the only sign of epilepsy. But these can also be recognised by different forms.

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1. Generalised seizures

They are also referred to as grand mal seizures as majorly all parts of the brain, including both the halves are involved. From the outside, a person having a generalised seizure can create sounds for a short time with eyes wide open. They often are seen to be baffled or mentally disoriented after the occurrence of this seizure.

2. Focal/partial seizures

A partial or focal seizure means that only one half or part of the brain which includes the seizure. This affects only the part or the side which is involved. In this, for example, only one leg or hand shows partial or recurrent movements for a limited period involving a confused state of mind.

3. Absence seizures

Also known as petit mal seizures, it entails deterioration in the sensibility or consciousness of the brain which results in gazing in the space expressionlessly. These are common seizures which can occur frequently in a day with a concise period.

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Causes of epilepsy

Epilepsy can be caused due to a variety of reasons relating to development or brain diseases. Some of them can be:

1. Head injuries

2. Tumour

3. Brain infection

4. Maternal drug use

5. Genetic structure

6. Alzheimer's disease

7. Drugs such as MDM or ecstasy

8. Lack of sleep

9. AIDS or other infectious disease

10. ADHD or other developmental disorders

11. Strokes

Epilepsy and ADHD

Some of the common causes of seizures can be correlational to ADHD. It is found that patients suffering from epilepsy can be more prone to developmental disorders like ADHD. This can also raise the levels of anxiety and depression in the mind due to the intake of medications used to treat epilepsy.

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Epilepsy: How can it be treated?

1. Anti-epileptic medications

The right medication for treating epilepsy can be anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs). Generally, these drugs are consumed by mouth. There can be different types of AEDs to treat different people with the kind of seizure they are suffering from, and it is observed to be helpful in 70% of the cases.

2. Brain surgery

Performing surgeries in the brain to recognise the faulty brain activity and administering it can help in the treatment of epilepsy.

3. Managing epilepsy ketogenic diet

Following a ketogenic diet which is high in healthy fats and low in carbohydrates can prove to be a beneficial treatment for epilepsy patients.

4. Vagus nerve stimulation

Inculcating a front runner mechanism into your body which helps in vitalizing vagus nerve of the brain is called vagus nerve stimulation. This can be seen as another effective treatment.

5. Temporal lobe resection

The target of the seizure in the brain structure can be removed in this treatment by clearing away the brain tissue involved.

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