What Is Epilepsy? Everything You Need to Know
Epilepsy is a common condition that impacts the brain and causes frequent seizures.
These seizures are outbursts of electrical activity in the brain that momentarily affect how it works. It can cause numerous symptoms. Epilepsy could start at any age, but usually begins either during adolescence or in people over sixty years of age.
It is often long-lasting, may relapse but also shows improvement with medications and therapies.
Symptoms of Epilepsy
Epilepsy can affect a person in different ways, depending on what part of the brain is involved. some likely symptoms include:
- uncontrollable jerky movement and shaking, called a “fit.”
- becoming semi-unconscious and staring blankly into space
- becoming rigid
- strange feelings, like a “rising” feeling in the tummy, unusual smells or tastes, and a tingling sensation in your arms or legs
- fainting
Sometimes you may pass out and not remember the entire episode of a “fit”.
Management for epilepsy
Treatment, most likely, can help people with epilepsy have fewer seizures or stop having seizures effectively.
Treatments include:
- medications called anti-epileptic drugs – these are the primary treatment
- surgery for removal of a small part of the brain which is causing the seizures
- a procedure to place a small electrical device in the body that can protect control seizures
- a specific diet (ketogenic diet) that can prevent seizures
Some people require treatment for life. You might consider stopping treatment if your seizures dissipate over time.
Causes of epilepsy
Epilepsy scrambles the electrical signals in the brain.
In most cases, the cause is not clear why this happens. It is likely could be caused by your genes affecting how your brain works, as around 1 in 3 people with epilepsy have a family member with it.
Occasionally, epilepsy could cause damage to the brain, such as damage from:
- a stroke
- a brain tumour
- a severe head injury
- drug abuse or alcohol misuse
- a brain infection
-
a lack of oxygen during birth
What are the symptoms of epilepsy?
Seizures are the primary symptom of epilepsy. These symptoms distinct from individual to individual and according to the kind of seizure.
Focal seizures
A simple partial seizure doesn’t include loss of consciousness. Symptoms include:
- altered sense of taste, smell, hearing, or touch
- dizziness or giddiness
- twitching of limbs
Complex partial seizures include loss of consciousness. Additional symptoms could be:
- staring confused
- unable to respond
- repeating movements
Generalized seizures
Generalized seizures include the whole brain. There are six types of generalized seizures:
Absence seizures, which was earlier called as “petit mal seizures,” cause a blank stare. This kind of seizure may also cause repetitive movements like lip smacking or blinking. There’s also usually a slight loss of consciousness.
Tonic seizures cause muscle rigidity.
Atonic seizures results in loss of muscle control and can make you fall all of a sudden.
Clonic seizures are repetitive, strong jerky movements of the face, neck, and limbs.
Myoclonic seizures lead to spontaneous, quick twitching of the arms.
Tonic-clonic seizures, previously called “grand mal seizures.” These symptoms include:
- stiffening of the body
- involuntary shaking
- loss of bladder or bowel control
- biting of the tongue
- loss of or altered consciousness
About 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy, that makes it one of the most common neurological diseases worldwide. According to the World Health Organisation, 70% of people living with epilepsy could live seizure-free if it is diagnosed and treated at the right time.
