Epilepsy Treatment

What is Epilepsy?

A disorder of the brain that also combine reappear convulsion is termed as epilepsy. These seizures are due to chemical and electrical enterprise of the brain. Seizures can happen anywhere in the brain and associate different causes. A person has seizures when –

The causes of the seizures can be prevented.

There are 2 or more seizures.

Fits, contraction or experience are the other names for seizures. Seizures come quickly and change a child’s state of physical activity and appreciation for a provisional period. Convulsions or fits also affect the senses like sensitivity, smell or vision.

Causes of Epilepsy

The explanation of seizures cannot be identified (idiopathic). These seizures can appear at any age but commonly they begin in between the age of 5-20. They can also occur due to family history of epilepsy or seizures. Other causes include –

Brain strokes or tumors

A brain injury

Birth injuries

Alcohol withdrawal

An infection that affects the developing brain of a fetus during pregnancy

Poisoning like alcohol or lead poisoning

Encephalitis, Meningitis or any other type of infection that affects the brain

Lack of oxygen to an infant’s brain during childbirth

Epilepsy Symptoms

Seizures are treated as one of the symptoms of epilepsy. Seizures are of many types and they can feel and look different that depends upon how quickly or how far they spread to the brain. For example

A person may black out and fall on the ground.

A person may experience a strange feeling as if he or she is out of touch with their surroundings.

Arms may jerk suddenly.

Muscles may feel limp or stiff.

A person may tremble or twitch

Types of Epilepsy

1. Partial Epilepsy

Complex partial seizure

Simple partial seizure

2. Generalized Epilepsy

Absences

Generalized tonic clonic seizures

Myoclonic epilepsy

3. Partial is becoming generalized

Who should consider Epilepsy Surgery?

A person who has side effects from taking drugs in order to control epilepsy.

A person who has tried 2-3 drugs for more than two years.

A person who has at least one fit major or minor per week on an average

Diagnosis and Tests for Epilepsy

A patient is appropriate to have an electroencephalograph (EEG) which is done for reading the electrical enterprise of the brain. The existence of seizures is accepted by taking this test. It is imperative to do prolonged EEG monitoring as EEG can be normal in between seizures. In order to locate any impaired brain tissue or scar, computer tomography (CT) scanning and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be done. Many times PET (positron emission tomography) can also be done for consider blood flow to the brain.

Surgery for Epilepsy

When disparate tests show that seizures advance in a well defined area of the brain without discouraging the vital functions of the brain such as motor function, hearing, vision, language or speech then surgery is performed. During the surgical proceeding, the concerned area of the brain is removed that expression seizures. A different type of surgery is approved when seizures begin in a specific part of the brain which cannot be removed. In this case, a surgeon makes many cuts in the brain in order to escape their spread to different parts of the brain.

Epilepsy Treatment Options

Till the time a person advance a second seizure, treatment for contraction will not begin. This is due to the reason that a person may have one seizure and never establish a second seizure. Medicines are outstanding in treating epilepsy. These medicines do not cure epilepsy, they prevent reappear of the seizures. These medicines change the chemical or electrical communication in the brain in a particle way that declines the chance of a seizure.

Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS): VNS therapy is approved when medicines are unable to control epilepsy. During the surgical proceeding, an electrical device is implanted underneath the skin. The lead of this device is protected around one of the nerves on the neck’s left side. This nerve is called as vagus nerve. This device repeatedly passes an electric dose to the nerve in order to encourage it. This process reduces the severity and prevalence of the seizures. If a person is feeling a warning seizure symptom then extra stimulation is given for preventing frequency of the seizure.

Ketogenic Diet: This is also treated as one of the analysis for epilepsy. Ketogenic diet is approved for children as it associate eating a diet which is low in proteins and carbohydrates and high in fats. The chemical balance of the brain can be transformed that also reduces the chance of having seizures. Ketogenic diet is not meant for adults as the diet can conclusion in any other honest medical condition like heart disease, high blood strength or strokes.

Cost of Epilepsy Treatment

Compared to the surgical costs in Europe and America, the cost of epilepsy treatment is essentially lower in India due to its attractive health care facilities.