Epilepsy: symptoms, causes and how to treat it

Definition of epilepsy

What is epilepsy?

The definition of epilepsy, also known as epilepsy, is a chronic disease characterized by recurrent seizures that often occur without a trigger. Disease occurs because of a central nervous system (neurological) disorder that causes seizures or sometimes loss of consciousness.

Seizures are different from epilepsy. Seizures are the main symptom of epilepsy. However, not everyone who has seizures has seizures.

Generally, a person is not considered to have seizures if they have never had two or more seizures within 24 hours of seizures for no apparent reason. However, in people with epilepsy, seizures can occur more than once or repeat at the same time or at different times.

In fact, in some cases, epilepsy can cause seizures during sleep. Most likely this occurs because of a change in the body's phase from waking up to sleeping which triggers abnormal activity in the brain.

In addition, the difference between seizures and epilepsy can also be seen from the causes. Seizures are common when the nerve cells work faster and with less control than normal. Meanwhile, epilepsy occurs when there is a disturbance in the brain.

Reported on the Cleveland Clinic website, there are 2 main classifications of epilepsy including:

Generalized epilepsy

This type of seizure occurs in both parts of the brain, including grand mal epilepsy which can cause a person to lose consciousness, myoclonic which causes the body to jerk briefly, and clonic which causes the body to jerk repeatedly.

Partial epilepsy

This type of seizure only occurs in certain parts of the brain, causing symptoms that may affect sensory problems, tremors, seizures only in the fingers or toes.

How common is this disease?

Epilepsy is a common disease. This disease can affect all ages, both babies and adults. Most often affects children under 2 years of age and adults over 65 years of age.

Can epilepsy be cured?

Epilepsy is an incurable disease. That means, a person will have this disease for the rest of his life. However, some of the symptoms can be controlled with some doctor's care.

Signs & symptoms of epilepsy

Epilepsy occurs due to abnormal activity in the brain that can affect any processes your brain regulates. In many cases, epilepsy symptoms are spontaneous and brief.

The following are some of the signs and symptoms of epilepsy that generally occur in infants, children or adults.

• Temporary confusion.
• Eyes blank (blank) staring at one point too long.
• Uncontrolled jerking movements of the hands and feet.
• Complete or temporary loss of consciousness.
• Psychic symptoms.
• Muscle rigidity.
• Trembling (tremors) or convulsions, of part of the body (face, arms, legs) or whole.
• The seizure is followed by the body stiffening and sudden loss of consciousness, which can cause the person to suddenly fall.

When should I see a doctor?

You should contact your doctor immediately if you experience the following symptoms of epilepsy:

• The seizure lasts more than 5 minutes.
• Breathing or awareness does not return after the seizure has stopped.
• The second seizure took place shortly thereafter.
• High fever.
• Heat exhaustion.
• Is pregnant.
• Have diabetes.
• Have had an injury from a seizure.

Causes of epilepsy

In many cases, the cause of epilepsy is unknown. However, the following are some of the factors that affect the brain and may be the cause of epilepsy, including:

• Genetic influences. Some types of seizures, which are categorized based on the type of seizure you have or the part of the brain that is affected, run in families.
• Injury to the head. Head injuries from car accidents, falls, or other traumatic injuries can also be causes of epilepsy.
• Brain conditions. Brain conditions that cause damage to the brain, such as a brain tumor or stroke, can cause seizures. Stroke is the most common cause of epilepsy in adults over 35 years of age.
• Infectious diseases. Infectious diseases, such as meningitis, HIV / AIDS and viral encephalitis, can cause seizures.
• Injury before childbirth. Epilepsy in children is usually triggered due to various disorders during pregnancy. Before birth, babies are sensitive to brain damage that can be caused by several factors, such as infection in the mother, poor nutrition or lack of oxygen.
• Developmental disorders. Ayan can sometimes be associated with developmental disorders, such as autism and neurofibromatosis.

Epilepsy risk factors

Although the exact cause is not known, scientists have found a variety of factors that can increase the risk of epilepsy. The following are risk factors for epilepsy:

• Age. There are more cases of epilepsy in children and the elderly than adults of reproductive age. Even so, this condition can also be experienced by all ages who are indeed at high risk of having epilepsy.
• Genetic. For most people, genes can cause epilepsy. So, if you have a family history of epilepsy, you are at a higher risk of having the condition.
• Injury to the head. Head injuries from car accidents, falls, or other traumatic injuries contribute to epilepsy.
• Stroke and vascular disease. Strokes and other vascular (blood vessel) diseases can cause brain damage that can trigger this condition.
• Dementia. Dementia can increase the risk of epilepsy in the elderly.
• Brain infection. Infections such as meningitis, which causes inflammation in the brain or spinal cord, can increase your risk of developing this disease.
• History of seizures in childhood. High fever can be a cause of epilepsy in children. Although not all, this condition is generally more susceptible to children who do have nervous system disorders and a family history of seizures.

Epilepsy complications

Epilepsy can cause complications, including:

• Falling during a seizure and causing head injury or fracture.
• Seizures while swimming can cause drowning.
• Have an accident while driving because a seizure occurs and you can't control your body or lose consciousness.
• Epilepsy that occur during pregnancy can cause harm to the fetus and the mother. The use of epilepsy drugs can also increase the risk of birth defects.
• Experiencing anxiety, depression, and committing suicide attempts.
• Experiencing status epilepticus, which is seizures that last more than 5 minutes or recurring seizures without realizing it that can cause brain damage and death.
• Sudden death can occur in some people with epilepsy with heart and respiratory system problems or in patients whose condition cannot be controlled with medication.

Medicines & Medicines

The information provided is not a substitute for medical advice. ALWAYS consult your doctor.

Apart from looking at your symptoms and medical history, your doctor may perform several tests to diagnose your condition. Some of the diagnostic tests for epilepsy are:

• A neurological examination is performed to check the patient's brain function, motor skills and behavior.
• Blood tests to rule out other health problems that can cause the body to spasm.
• An electroencephalogram (EEG) is a generalized epilepsy test to look for abnormal brain waves.
• Computerized tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), functional MRI (fMRI), and positron emission tomography (PET), and single-photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT) for brain imaging tests.

How is epilepsy treated?

Treatment for epilepsy focuses on controlling seizures, although not everyone with this condition needs treatment.

Epilepsy drug therapy

Many epilepsy drugs are available to control seizures, such as sodium valproate, carbamazepine, lamotrigine, levetiracetam, and topiramate.

The choice of this drug is usually prescribed based on factors such as the patient's tolerance for side effects, other illnesses he has, and the method of delivery of the drug.

Although the types of epilepsy vary widely, epilepsy drugs generally control seizures in 70 percent of patients. However, there are some side effects of epilepsy drugs to watch out for:

• Drowsiness
• Understaffed
• Agitation / restlessness
• Headache
• Uncontrollable shaking (tremors)
• Hair loss or unwanted hair growth
• Swollen gums
• Rash

Epilepsy surgery

Surgery is usually performed when epilepsy drug therapy is no longer working. In addition, this procedure is also performed after test results show that the seizure originates in a specific area of ​​the brain that does not interfere with vital functions such as speech, language, motor function, vision or hearing. With surgery, the doctor will remove the area in the brain that is causing the seizure.

However, if the seizure originates in a part of the brain that cannot be removed, the doctor will recommend another type of surgery in which the surgeon will perform several incisions in the brain. The incisions are designed to prevent the seizure from spreading to other parts of the brain.

Although many people still need epilepsy medication to prevent seizures after a successful surgery, you will probably only need fewer types of epilepsy medications and their dosages.

In a few cases, surgery for this condition can cause complications, such as permanent changes in thinking (cognitive) abilities.

First aid when epilepsy relapses

As many as 30-40 percent of people with epilepsy are at risk of having seizures at any time because the treatment therapies offered do not fully control the seizures they experience.

If there are relatives or people around you who at any time experience seizures or epileptic tonic-clonic seizures, which are seizures followed by muscle stiffness and loss of consciousness that put the person at risk of falling, you should try to do first aid for people with epilepsy with the following tisp:

• Don't panic and stay with the person
• Time the seizure from start to finish
• Loosen clothes around his neck
• Remove sharp and dangerous objects (glasses, furniture, other hard objects) from the person
• If so, ask the people around you to step back and make room for that person
• Slowly lay the person on their side as quickly as possible, put a pillow (or something soft) under their head, and open their jaws to open a better airway while preventing the person from choking on saliva or vomiting. A person cannot swallow the tongue, but the tongue can be pushed backwards causing obstruction of the airway.
• Keep in touch with the person so you know when they are sober.
• After the victim regains consciousness, he may feel dazed. Stay with and calm the victim. Don't leave the victim alone until she feels completely fit again.

Do not do this when performing first aid

• Restraining the seizure or restrain the person. This could result in injury
• Put any object in the victim's mouth or pull his tongue out. This can also cause injury
• Feed, drink, or take medication until the victim is fully recovered and conscious

Seek immediate medical help if you experience any of the following

• This is her first seizure (keep seeking help if you are not sure)
• The seizure lasts more than five minutes, or the first seizure is immediately followed by a continued seizure without a pause (status epilipticus), or if the victim cannot be awakened after the seizure and shaking is over.
• The person cannot be fully conscious or has difficulty breathing
• The seizures occur in the water
• The person is injured during the seizure
• The person is pregnant
• You are hesitating

If the seizure occurs while the person is in a wheelchair, vehicle passenger seat, or stroller, allow the person to remain seated as long as they are safe and secured by a seat belt. Support the head until the seizure is over.

Sometimes, victims need to be lifted out of the chair when the seizure is over, for example, if their airway is blocked or they need sleep. If there is food, drinking, or vomiting, remove the person from the chair and immediately lie down on their side.

If it is not possible to move the victim, continue to provide support to the head to ensure that the head does not droop back, then discard their mouths when the seizure is over.

Home remedies for epilepsy

Epilepsy is a disease that recurs. That means, the symptoms can occur anytime and anywhere. Overcoming this disease is not only with doctor's medication, but also with home remedies through adopting a healthy lifestyle to prevent epilepsy relapse, such as:

Diligently take medicine

Epilepsy drugs control seizures in about 70% of people. It is recommended that you follow your doctor's prescription precisely as this is probably the most effective way to cope with seizures.

Monitor medication regularly

You will have regular reviews of your seizure condition and treatment. This review should be done at least once a year, although you may need more frequent reviews if your condition is not well controlled.

Take care of yourself

You have to find out and keep doing what you need to do every day to stay in shape and take care of your physical and mental health, avoid illness or accidents, and pay attention to minor ailments and long-term health conditions.

Identify triggers

In some people, epilepsy can be triggered by various things, including stress, alcohol consumption, or lack of sleep. Therefore, patients must be able to deal with the stress they face with meditation or exercise, avoiding or limiting alcohol, and improving sleep quality.

Epilepsy prevention

There are several ways to prevent epilepsy, including:

Prevent head injury

Head injury is one of the causes of epilepsy. Therefore, the right step to prevent it is to be careful when on the move. Always use safety and security equipment when driving, walk with proper posture and focus on the surrounding conditions.

Apply a healthy lifestyle

Stroke and cardiovascular disease can increase the risk of developing epilepsy. Therefore, you must reduce your consumption of foods high in cholesterol and fat, be diligent in exercising, and stop smoking.

In addition, you also have to be diligent in washing your hands and washing food until it is clean to avoid various infections.

Take care of your health during pregnancy

Epilepsy is very risky for pregnant women. Therefore, before planning a pregnancy, do a health check and consult a doctor about the health of your body. As long as you are pregnant, always follow a healthy lifestyle that is directed by your doctor and regularly check your health.