Epilepsy and its Treatment
By: Mark MonteiroTotal Views: 252, Word Count: 577,
Epilepsy is defined as a health condition in which a patient is prone to develop recurring seizures. Epilepsy is a rare occurrence as it has been shown to attack 7 out of 1000 children in the age group of below 16 years and 1 out of 200 adults. Epilepsy can develop in any person at any age.
An epilepsy attack can be of various types. Some attacks which begin from one side of the brain are referred to as fractional or focal attacks. If an attack covers the entire brain it is known to be generalised. There are some epilepsy attacks which begin from one side of the brain and spread all over the brain to become generalized in nature.
Reasons for epilepsy occurrence-
There is no specific reason for the occurrence of epilepsy. Epilepsy is not inherited, though it is known to be more common in families which have a history of epilepsy.
Some reasons for the occurrence of epilepsy are-
- Infringements of a structure of the brain
- An insult
- Tumours of the brain
- Lack of oxygen and blood supply at birth
- A craniocereberal trauma
- Hereditary factors
- Virus and parasitic disease
- Meningitis and abscess in the brain
The occurrence of epilepsy-
Some people are known to experience single seizures and in some cases seizures can go on to have further seizures. It is impossible to pin point as to who is more prone to have more seizures and the extent is regard to a seizure.
Treatment for epilepsy-
With the right and most appropriate treatment one can prevent seizures and improve ones quality of life.
The treatment for epilepsy would vary from person to person. In some cases medication can help control seizures and in some cases surgery would be required if medication fails in the treatment.
Various available treatments for epilepsy-
Vagus nerve stimulation treatment: During this treatment a vagus nerve stimulator is implanted into the patient’s chest right under the collarbone. Wires from the stimulator are later wrapped around the vagus nerve in the patient’s neck. The function of the vagus nerve is to connect itself from the brain to the heart, lungs and the gastrointestinal tract. According to an adjustable program the device is able to turn on and off. The device has shown to reduce seizures by around 20 to 40 percent on an average. Though most people would require to take anti-epileptic medication the dosage among most people is known to have reduced.
Medical treatment: During medical treatment drug therapy is provided to the patients along with anticonvulsants. The drugs which are administered to the patients would depend on factors such as medical history, overall health and the person’s age.
Before taking any sort of treatment it would be wise to consult your neurologist for the most preferred and suitable treatment.
Epilepsy can be prevented by avoiding triggers and altering ones lifestyle to improve seizure control. It should be noted that epilepsy is not infectious and nor is it a mental disease or disorder.
About the Author
Dr. Mark Monteiro is graduated from the Hazard University and done his MBA from the he University Of Illinois College Of Medicine. Currently he is working as general physician at Elmhurst Loyola Center for Health. For over 15 years he has been a pioneer in the field of physician health. He has contributed to the treatment of many diseases like- ASTHMA, TUBERCULOSIS, HIV, HEPATITIS AND ITS TREATMENT.
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