Epilepsy | Seizure Disorder | Brain disease

Epilepsy is generally a brain disease where nerve cells do not send the signal properly, which causes seizures. Generally, seizures are uncontrolled bursts of electrical signals which change the sensations, behaviours, awareness and muscle movements. Even though epilepsy cannot be cured, but many treatment options are available. People with epilepsy almost  70% of people can manage the disease with the help of medications.

Causes of Epilepsy

Till now, there is no clear reason for someone who has epilepsy. But some things will make a person more likely to develop the epilepsy which includes:

• a brain injury or a brain tumor

• problems with the brain development before birth

• abnormal blood vessels in the brain

• bleeding in the brain

• other type of infection that affects the brain are meningitis, encephalitis 

Usually, epilepsy is not contagious  which means you cannot catch it from someone who is affected. But it can often occur in families, because someone's mom or dad or brother or sister has epilepsy.

Below things can trigger the seizures in people with epilepsy which includes:

• flashing or bright lights

• a lack of sleep

• stress

• Overstimulation

• fever

• some medicines

• Hyperventilation happen when you breathe too fast or too deeply

Seizure triggers

Seizure triggers have some events or something which happens before the seizure.

Some common triggers of seizure triggers include:

• Stress.

• Sleep issues like not sleeping well, not enough sleep, overtired, disturbed sleep and some other sleep disorders like sleep apnea.

• Alcohol, alcohol withdrawal, recreational drugs usage.

• Changes in hormones or menstrual hormones.

• Illness, fever.

• Flashing lights or some patterns.

• skipping meals, no diet food, not eating balanced meals or drinking enough liquids

• Physical overexertion.

• Specific foods like caffeine are a common trigger.

• Dehydration.

• Specific times of the day or night.

• Use of specific medicines. Diphenhydramine is for cold,allergy and counter action medicines for sleep is a reported trigger.

• Missed dosage of anti-seizure medications.

Symptoms

Usually, symptoms of seizures will vary depending on the type of seizure. Because epilepsy is caused by certain activity in the brain, especially seizures can affect any brain process. Symptoms of seizures are:

• Temporary confusion.

• A staring spell.

• Stiff muscles.

• Unusual jerking movements of the arms and legs.

• Loss of consciousness or Loss of awareness.

• fear, anxiety or deja vu symptoms of Psychological problems 

Most people might have changes in their behaviour. And they also have psychosis symptoms.

Most of the people with epilepsy will have the same type of seizure each time. Usually, symptoms are very similar from episode to episode.

Exams and Tests

Your healthcare provider will perform a physical examination. They will look at the brain and nervous system.

An EEG (electroencephalogram) will be performed to check for the electrical activity in the brain. In this test, people with epilepsy often have abnormal electrical activity seen. In some rare cases, the test will show the particular area of the brain where the seizures start. But the brain will appear as normal after a seizure or between the seizures.

To diagnose epilepsy, you may need to:

• Wear an EEG recorder for days to weeks, when you go about your everyday life.

• You can stay in a special hospital where brain activities are recorded by video cameras during the seizure. This is called video EEG.

Tests that may be done include:

• Blood chemistry

• Blood sugar

• Complete blood count (CBC)

• Kidney function tests

• Genetic tests

• Liver function tests

• Lumbar puncture or spinal tap

• Tests for infectious diseases

Head CT or MRI scan is usually done to find the exact cause and location of the problem in the brain.

Treatment

Treatment will help you face fewer seizures or stop seizures completely.

Generally, treatment plan will depend on:

• the severity of your symptoms

• your health

• how well you respond to therapy

Treatment options are:

Anti-epileptic (anticonvulsant, antiseizure) drugs. 

Anti-epileptic medicines will help you to reduce the number of seizures you experience. In some people, these drugs will eliminate seizures. For most effect, medications must be taken as exactly as your provider prescribed.

Vagus nerve stimulator. 

This device is placed by surgery under the skin on your chest. And it electrically stimulates the nerves which run through the neck to prevent seizures.

Ketogenic diet. 

According to the Epilepsy Foundation, half of the children do not respond to medicines. But they benefit from the ketogenic diet which includes a high fat and low carbohydrate diet.

Brain surgery. 

The particular area of the brain that causes seizures can be removed or altered by your healthcare team, thinking that it is the right treatment for your health condition.

Research is ongoing into new treatments.  In the future, a more widely available treatment is deep brain stimulation. This method implants the electrodes into your brain and a generator into your chest. This generator sends electrical signals to your brain to reduce seizures.

Possible Complications

Complications are:

• Difficulty in learning

• During a seizure, breathe in food or saliva into the lungs which causes aspiration pneumonia

• During s seizure, you can get injuries from falls, bumps, self-inflicted bites or operating machinery

• Permanent brain damage like strokes or other damage

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. Can epilepsy live a normal life?

Ans: Many people with epilepsy can conduct a normal life.

Q2. Is epilepsy a serious problem?

Ans: Seizures can lead to serious physical injuries. In addition, life-threatening conditions associated with epilepsy include status epilepticus and sudden unexplained death in epilepsy (SUDEP).

Q3. Can epilepsy be cured?

Ans: Although there is no known cure for epilepsy, developments in treatment have made it possible for most people to achieve seizure control.

Q4. Is epilepsy permanently?

Ans: About 6 out of 10 people diagnosed with epilepsy can become seizure free within a few years with proper treatment.

Q5. Is epilepsy a brain damage?

Ans: Epilepsy is a broad term used for a brain disorder that causes repeated seizures.