Among the many disorders of the nervous system, epilepsy is one of the most common. In the United States, there are more than 2.7 million people affected with the condition. A person can develop epilepsy at any point of their lives but it is more common during early childhood and old age. This condition makes those that are affected more susceptible to seizures. These are changes in sensation, awareness, or behavior that is due to a short electrical disturbance in the brain. These often last a few minutes. This is the reason that epilepsy is also known as seizure disorder.
There are different types of seizures that a person affected with epilepsy may be prone to. A person may experience just one type, while some may experience more than one. This depends on which the part and how much of the brain is affected by the electrical disturbances. These different types of seizures are divided into the generalized and the partial seizures. The first division affects both the cerebral hemispheres, which is the entire cortex, from the start of the seizure. This produces loss of consciousness to the individual. The seizures that belong to this category are tonic, absence, myoclonic and atonic seizures.
Tonic seizures are the most common and best known type. It begins with the stiffening of the limbs which follows the jerking of the limbs and face. The tongue or inner part of the mouth may be bitten during the seizure. Absence seizures on the other hand involve lapses of awareness that sometimes starts with staring. This usually takes about 30 seconds and slight muscle twitching may occur during the seizure. Myoclonic seizures involve the fast but short periods of muscle contractions that happen at the same time on both sides of the body. An abrupt loss of muscle tone on the other hand is known as an atonic seizure. This are also known as drop attacks causing the person to fall to the ground. Partial seizures involve only one cerebral hemisphere of the brain. This is further divided into simple and complex partial seizures. The simple type causes no interruptions in the person’s consciousness while the complex partial seizure does this at varying degrees.
Some cases of epilepsy may be inherited but there are also a lot of factors that contribute to developing the condition. Head trauma, neurosurgical operations, brain tumor, high fever, stroke and intoxication are some of the factors. Brain damage that is due to malformations during brain development may also be a factor. Other factors are: gene mutation and chemical stimulation.
In treating epilepsy, stopping the seizure is the primary focus. Antiepileptic or anticonvulsant drugs are prescribed to the patients. Some cases may also benefit from an implantation of a stimulator of the vagus nerve. This is a large nerve that leads into the brain. This surgical treatment is only advisable if the medical treatments do not work for the individual. We also need to know what proper things to do in the midst of someone having a seizure. Family members or those that live with the person affected with epilepsy should learn what not to and what to do during an episode. Self-injury of the individual affected should be avoided.
During an episode, this person should be moved away from sharp edges. Placing something soft beneath the head and carefully rolling the person to his side should also be done. This would prevent the risk of asphyxiation. If the person regurgitates, the material should be left to drip out the side of his mouth by itself. Regardless of what we have previously known, it is not helpful to put any form of object in a person’s mouth during an episode. This could only result to the obstruction of his airway and to a possible injury to the person’s mouth. If the seizure lasts for more than five minutes, emergency medical services should be contacted. If however the seizure passes, the person should be accompanied as confusion or disorientation usually follows. They should not be allowed to eat or drink until they have returned to their normal level of awareness.
