Epilepsy (epilepsy)

January 26, 2013

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Epilepsy   - A psychoneurological disease that is chronic. The main characteristic feature of epilepsy is the propensity of the patient to recurrent seizures That arise suddenly. In epilepsy may manifest different types of seizures, however, the basis for such seizures is abnormal activity of nerve cells in the brain, due to which there is an electrical discharge.

Epilepsy   (so-called epilepsy) is known to people since ancient times. Preserved historical information that the disease suffered by many famous people (seizures occurred at Julius Caesar, Napoleon, Dante, Nobel et al.).

Today is difficult to say how in the world this disease is common, as many people simply are not aware that they have it manifest symptoms of epilepsy. Another part of the patients hide their diagnosis. Thus, there is evidence that in some countries the prevalence of the disease may be up to 20 cases per 1,000 persons. In addition, about 50 children per 1,000 people, at least once in his life had a fit of epilepsy at a time when they have greatly increased body temperature.

Unfortunately, to date there is no method to completely cure the disease. However, using the right tactics treatment and choosing suitable medicines, doctors reach the termination of seizures in about 60-80% of cases. The disease is only in rare cases can lead to death and serious violations of physical and mental development.

Causes of epilepsy

Until today, experts are uncertain of the reasons for which a person begins an attack of epilepsy. Periodically seizures occur in people with certain other diseases. As the scientists, symptoms of epilepsy in humans to manifest if damaged a certain area of ​​the brain, but it is not completely destroyed. Brain cells that were affected, but still maintain the vitality, become sources of abnormal discharges, because of which manifested epilepsy. Sometimes the consequences are expressed in new seizure brain injury and develop new centers of epilepsy.

Those of skill is not fully known what epilepsy is, and why some patients suffer from seizures, while in others they do not. Also known explanation for the fact that some patients with a seizure is a single, while others seizures recur frequently.

Asked whether the transmitted inherited epilepsy, doctors say about the impact of genetic predisposition. However, in general, manifestation of epilepsy are caused by both hereditary factors and environmental influences, and diseases which the patient had before.

Causes symptomatic epilepsy   maybe encephaloma . brain abscess . meningitis . encephalitis . inflammatory granuloma . Cardiovascular disorders . With tick-borne encephalitis the patient is a so-called manifestations Kozhevnikov epilepsy . Also symptomatic epilepsy may manifest itself in the background intoxication . autointoxication .

The reason traumatic epilepsy It is traumatic brain injury . Especially expressed its influence in the event that such injury was repeated. Seizures may occur even several years after the injury.

The forms of epilepsy

The classification of epilepsy carried out in view of its origins, as well as the type of seizures. Provided a localized form of the disease   (partial, focal). This frontal, parietal, temporal, occipital epilepsy. Also, experts allocate   generalized epilepsy   (idiopathic and symptomatic forms).

Idiopathic epilepsy   It determined if the cause is not detected. Symptomatic epilepsy   associated with the presence of organic brain damage. In 50-75% of cases there is a type of idiopathic disease. Cryptogenic epilepsy It is diagnosed if the etiology is unclear epileptic syndromes or unknown. These syndromes are not idiopathic form of the disease, but symptomatic epilepsy in these syndromes can not be determined.

Jacksonian epilepsy   - A disease in which the patient has come somatomotornye or somatosensory seizures. Such attacks can be either focal or spread to other parts of the body.

Considering the causes that trigger the appearance of seizures, doctors determined primary   and secondary   (acquired) forms of the disease. Secondary epilepsy develops under the influence of a number of factors (illness, pregnancy).

Post-traumatic epilepsy seizures manifest in patients who have previously suffered brain damage from head trauma.

Alcoholic epilepsy It develops in people who regularly drink alcohol. This condition is a complication of alcoholism. It is characterized by sudden seizures that are periodically repeated. And after some time, these attacks have come regardless of whether the patient has consumed alcohol.

Epilepsy night   manifested disease attack in his sleep. Due to the characteristic changes in brain activity in some patients develop symptoms in the dream attack - biting tongue upuskanie urine and others.

But whatever the form of the disease is not manifested in the patient, every person is important to know how to provide first aid in the attack. After all, as a help for epilepsy is sometimes necessary for those who have suffered a seizure in public. If a person develops seizure, care must be taken so that was not broken airway warn zakusyvanie and the tongue as well as to prevent injury to the patient.

Types of seizures

In most cases, the first signs of illness appear in person in childhood or adolescence. Gradually, the intensity and frequency of attacks is increasing. Often, the intervals between seizures reduced from months to weeks or days. In the development of the disease is often significantly changing nature of seizures.

Experts identify several types of seizures. With of generalized (large) seizures the patient developed seizures pronounced. As a rule, before the attack appear its precursors that can be observed, and in a few hours and a few days before a seizure. Harbingers of a high excitability, irritability, changes in behavior, appetite. Before the start of an attack is often observed in patients with aura.

Aura   (a state before a seizure) is manifested in different patients with epilepsy differently. Sensory aura - It is the emergence of visual images, olfactory and auditory hallucinations. Psychic Aura   manifested experience of terror and bliss. To autonomic aura   characterized by changing roles and status of internal organs (heart palpitations, epigastric pain, nausea, etc.). Motor aura It expressed the advent of motor automatism (movement of hands and feet, tilting the head, etc.). With Voice aura   People usually utters meaningless words or exclamations. Sensitive aura   expressed paresthesias (sensation of cold, numbness, and others.).

When a seizure begins, the patient may shout and issue peculiar grunting sounds. Man falls, loses consciousness, his body stretched and strained. Slows breathing, pale face.

Thereafter, the entire body or only appear in the limbs twitching. At the same time pupils dilate, rises sharply arterial pressure , Salivate mouth, people sweat, the blood rises to the face. Sometimes involuntarily allocated urine and feces. The patient may be in a fit of biting tongue. Then the muscles relax, spasms disappear, breathing becomes deeper. Gradually consciousness returns, but also around during the day is stored drowsiness   and signs of confusion. Described in the phase of generalized seizures may occur in a different sequence.

The patient does not remember such a fit, sometimes, however, preserved the memory of the aura. Seizure duration - from several seconds to several minutes.

A variety of generalized seizures are febrile convulsions That occur in children under the age of four under the condition of high body temperature. But more often there are only a few such attacks, which do not in true epilepsy. As a consequence, there is expert opinion that febrile seizures are not epilepsy.

To focal seizures   characteristic only involve one part of the body. They are motor or sensory. In these attacks the person has seizures, paralysis   or abnormal sensations. When manifestations of Jacksonian epilepsy seizures are moved from one part of the body to another.

After a break in the limb spasms, it still present some days paresis . If such seizures observed in adults, which occurs after the organic brain damage. Therefore, it is important immediately after a seizure to consult specialists.

Also, patients with epilepsy often occur small seizures In which a person at a certain time loses consciousness, but it will not fall. In a second attack on the face of the patient appear jerking, facial pallor is observed, a person at the same time looking at one point. In some cases, the patient can be turned in one place, utter incoherent phrases or words. After the end of the attack the person continues to do what it did before, and does not remember what happened to him.

To temporal lobe epilepsy   characterized polymorphic paroxysms , Before which, as a rule, for several minutes, there is autonomic aura. When epileptic patient commits inexplicable actions, and they can sometimes be dangerous to others. In some cases there are severe personality changes. In the period between attacks the patient present severe autonomic disorders. The disease mostly occurs chronically.

Diagnosis of epilepsy

First of all, in the process of diagnosis, it is important to conduct a detailed survey, both the patient and his loved ones. It is important to know all the details concerning his state of health, ask about features of seizures. Important information for doctors is evidence that there were any cases of epilepsy in the family, when the first attacks, what is their frequency.

Particularly important is the collection of history, if there is a children's epilepsy. Symptoms in children symptoms of the disease should be suspected the parents as soon as possible if there are grounds for this. The symptoms of epilepsy in children show similar diseases in adults. However, diagnosis is often difficult due to the fact that parents often described symptoms indicate other diseases.

Next, the doctor performs a neurological examination, to determine the presence of the patient headache, as well as a number of other symptoms that suggest the development of organic brain damage.

The patient must be conducted magnetic resonance imaging, which allows to eliminate the disease of the nervous system that could provoke seizures.

During the EEG recorded the electrical activity of the brain. In patients with epilepsy in this study reveal changes - seizure activity . However, in this case it is important that the results of the study considered experienced, as epileptic activity is recorded and about 10% of healthy people. Between bouts of epilepsy patients may experience a normal EEG pattern. Therefore, doctors often initially using a variety of methods provoke abnormal electrical impulses in the cerebral cortex, and then carried out the study.

Very important in the diagnosis process to find out what type of attack takes place in the patient, as this determines the characteristics of treatment. Those patients in whom there are different types of seizures, prescribe treatment with a combination of drugs.

Treatment of epilepsy

Treatment of epilepsy - a very time-consuming process, which is not similar to the treatment of other ailments. Consequently, the scheme, how to treat epilepsy, a doctor must determine the diagnosis. Medicines for epilepsy should be taken as soon as all of the studies were conducted. It is not a question of how to cure epilepsy, and, above all, on the prevention of the disease progress and new manifestations of seizures. And the patient and his loved ones, it is important to explain the meaning of the available treatments, and specify all other aspects, in particular the fact that epilepsy can not be avoided entirely cure the people's means.

Treatment of the disease is always long, and, supplementation should be regular. The dosage determines the frequency of manifestations of seizures, duration of illness, as well as a number of other factors. In the case of treatment failure are replaced by other drugs. If the treatment result is positive, the drug dose is gradually reduced and very accurately. During treatment it is mandatory to monitor the physical condition of the person.

In the treatment of epilepsy uses different groups of drugs: anticonvulsants . nootropnye . psychotropic   facilities, vitamins . Recently, doctors practice application tranquilizers That relaxing effect on the muscles.

In the treatment of this disease, it is important to maintain a balanced work and rest, to eat, to exclude alcohol, as well as other factors that trigger seizures. It is a strain, sleep deprivation, loud music, and others.

With the right approach to treatment, compliance with all the rules and with the involvement of loved ones the patient's condition significantly improved and stabilized.

In the treatment of children with epilepsy, the most important point is the correct approach to the parents of its implementation. When childhood epilepsy draws particular attention to the dosage of drugs and its correction with the growth of the baby. Initially, the state of a child who began to take a certain medication, the doctor should monitor, as some medicines can cause allergic reactions and intoxication.

Parents should be aware that provoking factors influencing the occurrence of seizures is vaccination . a sharp rise in temperature . infection . intoxication . TBI .

It is necessary to consult with your doctor before starting treatment medication therapy of other diseases, as they can not be combined with anti-epileptic agents.

Another important point - take care of the psychological state of the child. It is necessary to explain to him, if possible, about the features of the disease and ensure that the baby feel comfortable in the children's collective. They need to know about his illness and be able to help him during the attack. A child needs to understand that his illness is nothing to worry and shame he did not have the disease.

Prevention

To avoid attacks, patients should completely eliminate alcohol, smoking, full of sleep every day. It is necessary to follow a diet, dominated by dairy and plant foods. What is important is the correct way of life in general and attention to the human health.