By: Hello Doctor Updated 14 Apr 2022, 18: 01 pm EDT
Epilepsy is a neurological disorder that affects more than 50 million people in the world.
Despite its high incidence, specialists point out that up to 70 % of people who suffer from it can live without seizures if they receive a timely diagnosis and proper treatment. Find out here what its causes, symptoms, health risks and treatments are.
What is epilepsy?
Epilepsy is a disorder of the central nervous system in which brain activity normal is altered. This causes seizures or periods of unusual behavior and sensations, often leading to loss of consciousness.
Anyone can have epilepsy, regardless of gender or age, although evidence indicates that men have a higher risk of developing it than women. In addition, it is more common for this disorder to appear in young children or older adults.
Certain factors can trigger an epileptic episode:
- Stress.
- Lack of sleep.
- Fever .
- Skipping meals, overeating or consuming specific foods.
- Having low blood sugar levels.
Intake of caffeine, alcohol, medications or illegal drugs.
Identifying the trigger(s) is not always easy, although a good way to find out about them is to keep a seizure diary that includes useful information about the episode(s), such as day, time, activities involved, context, sounds or smells and mood.
What causes epilepsy
It is estimated that almost half of the cases of epilepsy n or have an identifiable cause. However, the other half may be due to different factors:
- Genetics: Certain genes have been associated with people are more sensitive to environmental factors that trigger seizures.
- Brain abnormalities: this includes tumors, malformations, or strokes.
- Head injuries : such as those that occur due to car accidents or falls.
- Infections: such as meningitis, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), or viral encephalitis.
- Developmental disorders : such as autism.
- Prenatal injuries: such as infection in the mother, poor nutrition or oxygen deficiency.
In addition, certain factors can increase the risk of suffering episodes epileptics, such as:
- Being a child or of legal age.
- Have a family history of epilepsy.
- Suffering blows or serious head injuries.
- Suffering from dementia.
What are the symptoms of epilepsy
Seizures caused by epilepsy can affect any process coordinated by the brain, so its symptoms can be:
- Temporary confusion.
- Absence episodes.
Muscle stiffness.
- Uncontrollable jerky movements of the limbs.
- Loss of consciousness or consciousness.
- Fear, anxiety or déjà vu.
However, the signs associated with epilepsy will depend on the type of seizure. Generally, a person with epilepsy tends to have the same type of seizure in each episode, so the symptoms will be similar from one to the next.
How to recognize a mental health problem
Experts classify seizures into two large groups, depending on how and where the abnormal brain activity begins: focal or generalized.
Focal seizures
Focal or partial seizures are caused by abnormal activity in only one part of the brain. In turn, they are subdivided into:
- Seizures with alteration of consciousness : it is possible that during these episodes the person stares into space and does not respond with normality to their environment, or perform repetitive movements, such as rubbing their hands together, chewing, swallowing, or walking in circles.
- Absence crisis: usually occur in children and are characterized by episodes of staring into space with or without subtle body movements, such as eye blinking or lip smacking. They last between 5 and 10 seconds and can have a frequency of up to 100 times a day, causing a brief loss of consciousness.
- Generalized tonic seizures: they are characterized by affecting the muscles of the back, arms and legs, they can cause falls and affect knowledge.
- Generalized atonic seizures: they are characterized by causing loss of muscle control, especially in the legs, so they can end in sudden falls or collapses.
- Generalized clonic seizures : they are characterized by causing repetitive or rhythmic and spasmodic muscular movements, generally in the neck, face and arms.
- Myoclonic seizures: are characterized by or sudden brief jerking movements, or jerks that usually end up affecting the upper part of the body, as well as the arms and legs.
- Seizures without loss of consciousness : can alter emotions and senses, and cause involuntary movements.
Analysis and diagnostic tests should be done to distinguish this type of seizures, since they are often confused with other disorders, such as migraine or mental illness.
Generalized seizures
Generalized seizures are caused by abnormal activity in all areas of the brain. There are six types:
How is epilepsy diagnosed
It is important to consult a health professional if any of the symptoms developed above occur. To rule out other conditions that cause seizures, the doctor may order different tests and exams:
- Blood analysis.
What treatments exist for epilepsy
Currently, there is no cure for epilepsy, although early and appropriate treatment can significantly improve quality of life.
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There are different options to treat epilepsy, the choice of which will depend on the severity of the symptoms, patient’s health status and response to therapy. The most commons are:
- Antiepileptic or anticonvulsant drugs : valproic acid (Depakote), carbamazepine (Tegretol), lamotrigine (Lamictal) or levetiracetam (Keppra), among others.
- Vagus nerve stimulator
: This device is surgically placed under the skin of the chest and electrically stimulates the nerve that runs through the neck to prevent seizures.
Health risks
If epilepsy episodes are not properly treated, they can increase the risk of different health complications:
- Car accidents.
- Drowning.
- Falls.
- Complications during pregnancy.
- Emotional health problems, such as depression, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts and behaviors.
- Sudden death.
Cases of epilepsy
Of the approximately 50 million people around the world who have epilepsy, 5 million live in Latin America and the Caribbean, according to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).
It is estimated that more than half of the cases of epilepsy in Latin America and the Caribbean do not receive care of any kind from health services, two thirds of the countries of the region do not have a program for epilepsy care and 80% do not have adequate legislation on epilepsy.
Mortality due to epilepsy is 1.04 for 100 . inhabitants, higher than that of the United States and Canada, where it is 0.5 per 80.000 population. In turn, the region has a rate of 0.7 neurologists for every 100.000 population.
Sources consulted: American Psychiatric Association, US National Library of Medicine, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Mayo Clinic, World Health Organization (WHO), Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).