Epilepsy is a disease of the central nervous system where there are intense electrical discharges that can not be controlled by the person, causing symptoms such as uncontrolled movements of the body and bite of the tongue, for example.
This neurological disease has no cure, but can be controlled with medications prescribed by the neurologist, such as Carbamazepine or Oxcarbazepine. In most cases, people who have epilepsy may have a normal life, but should have a lifetime of treatment to avoid seizures.
Anyone can have an epileptic seizure at some point in their lives that can be caused by a head injury, such as meningitis or excessive alcohol consumption, for example. And in these cases when controlling the cause epilepsy episodes disappear completely.
Symptoms of epilepsy
The most common symptoms of an epileptic seizure are:
- Loss of consciousness;
- Muscle contractions;
- Bite of the tongue;
- Urinary incontinence;
- Mental confusion.
In addition, epilepsy is not always manifested by muscle spasms, as in the case of the absence crisis, where the individual stands still, with a vacant look, as if he were disconnected from the world for about 10 to 30 seconds. Get to know other symptoms of this type of crisis in: How to identify and treat the crisis of absence.
Seizures usually last from 30 seconds to 5 minutes, but there are cases where they can stay for up to half an hour and in these situations there may be a brain injury with irreversible damage.
Diagnosis of epilepsy
The diagnosis of epilepsy is made with the detailed description of the symptoms presented during an episode of epilepsy and is confirmed through examinations such as:
- Electroencephalogram: which evaluates brain activity;
- Blood test : to assess the levels of sugar, calcium and sodium, because when their values are too low can lead to seizures of epilepsy;
- Electrocardiogram: to check if the cause of epilepsy is caused by heart problems;
- CT or MRI: to check whether epilepsy is caused by cancer or stroke.
- Lumbar puncture: to check if it is caused by a brain infection.
These tests should preferably be performed at the time of the epileptic crisis because when performed outside the crisis, they may not show any brain changes.
Main causes of epilepsy
Epilepsy can affect individuals of any age, including infants or the elderly and can be caused by several factors such as:
- Head injury after a head bump or bleeding into the brain;
- Malformation of the brain during gestation;
- Presence of neurological syndromes such as West Syndrome or Lennox-Gastaud Syndrome;
- Neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's or Stroke;
- Lack of oxygen during labor;
- Low blood sugar or decreased calcium or magnesium;
- Infectious diseases such as meningitis, encephalitis or neurocysticercosis;
- Tumor in the brain;
- High fever;
- Genetic pre-disposition.
Sometimes the cause of epilepsy is not identified and in this case it is called idiopathic epilepsy and can be triggered by factors such as loud sounds, flashes of light or long sleeplessness, for example. Pregnancy can also cause an increase in epileptic seizures, so in this case, see what to do here.
Usually, the first seizure occurs between 2 and 14 years of age and, in the case of seizures occurring before 2 years, are related to brain defects, chemical imbalances or very high fevers. Convulsive seizures that begin after 25 years of age are probably due to a head injury, a stroke or a tumor.
Epilepsy Treatment
The treatment of epilepsy is done with the taking of anticonvulsivantes throughout the life indicated by the neurologist, like Phenobarbital, Valproato, Clonazepam and Carbamazepina, because these medicines help the individual to control the cerebral activity.
However, about 30% of patients diagnosed with epilepsy can not control seizures even with medications, so in some cases, such as neurocysticercosis, surgery may be indicated. Learn more about Epilepsy Treatment.
First aid during an epileptic seizure
During an epileptic seizure, the person should lie on his or her side to facilitate breathing and should not be disturbed during seizures by removing objects that may fall or injure the person. The crisis should take up to 5 minutes, if it takes longer it is recommended to take the person to the emergency room or call an ambulance by calling the number 192. Learn What to do in the Epilepsy Crisis.
