Epilepsy: description of the disease, symptoms, causes, diagnosis, risk factors, prevention, life with epilepsy, reviews, treatment with medicines, physiotherapy exercises, diet, and surgical method. What is an epileptic attack, epileptic status, how to help a person? Is it possible to cure epilepsy, is it inherited?

In this article you will learn about such a disease as epilepsy, the causes of the disease, symptoms and methods of treatment. We will also tell you how to help a person if he suddenly had an epileptic attack.

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Epilepsy: what is this disease, what is an epileptic attack?

Epilepsy has many names: “black disease”, “moon disease”, “sacred disease”. This disease is known for a very long time, the doctor Hippocrates described this disease. Even then, the great scientist suggested that the disease is the result of a brain function.

Epilepsy was always afraid. For example, in ancient Rome they stopped taking a meeting if an epileptic attack took place. And in the Middle Ages, people with epilepsy had to live in exile, to be hermit. Society avoided such people, everyone was afraid to become infected from a patient with epilepsy. And, of course, they believed, epilepsy with a curse.

Currently, quite a lot is known about epilepsy. And, fortunately, the achievements of medicine allow us to find out more and more about this disease.

Important: epilepsy is a chronic brain disease associated with the electrical activity of nerve cells.

With epilepsy, the exciting system dominates the inhibitory. As a result of the group of nerve cells, powerful electric discharges are carried out. An epileptic attack occurs. Normally, the inhibitory and exciting system operates synchronously.

Important: an epileptic attack is a spontaneous seizure, as a result of which a person falls. A person loses consciousness or is in a tangled state, the seizure is accompanied by convulsions, the release of saliva.

Epilepsy can be sick at any age. But most often the disease manifests itself in childhood.

How epilepsy manifests itself: symptoms, signs

Epilepsy is manifested by the only sign - epileptic attack.

One attack does not mean that a person has epilepsy. But, as a rule, attacks are periodically repeated.

The insidiousness of this disease is that attacks arise spontaneously. A person cannot predict their appearance, warn and somehow avoid it. Because of this, against the background of epilepsy, a person may have depression, nervous violation, disorder, tension. The inconvenience created by the disease force a person to worry and think that an attack can happen at a wrong moment.

But it is worth noting that a number of patients can feel the approach of an epileptic attack. This condition is called aura. These are specific sensations, accompanied by a feeling of deja vu or Zhamev, goosebumps, unusual experiences, smells.

Important: an episode can sometimes happen imperceptibly for the patient and others.

There are weak epileptic attackswhich occur very quickly and imperceptibly. For a short time, a person can freeze in one position. Moreover, he may well automatically continue to perform some action. You can suspect an epileptic attack according to the twitching centuries in front of our eyes and strange behavior.

Such an attack lasts a few seconds and also passes unnoticed. After him, a person cannot remember what happened to him. The duration of an epileptic attack can reach several minutes. After such an attack, a person feels weak, he can fall asleep.

Sometimes an epileptic attack is confused with hysterical attack. But these are two completely different states. A hysterical attack occurs as a result of a quarrel, resentment. As a rule, it happens in people after communicating with loved ones and at home. A hysterical attack can last about 20 minutes. After him, a person does not feel weakness and drowsiness.

Also, seizures can be in children on a background of high temperature. It can be febrile convulsions. They are not related to epilepsy.

In severe cases epileptic attacks may be accompanied by hallucinations, heart rhythm disorders. An important feature of an epileptic attack is that a person does not feel pain. He can hit, inflict injuries to himself.

What are the causes of epilepsy?

There are a lot of causes of the disease. In people of different age categories, the disease develops for various reasons:

The causes of the development of epilepsy in babies include tribal injury, hypoxia, intrauterine infections (for example, herpetic, cytomegalovirus, etc.).
In children from 3 years old and adolescents, epilepsy can occur against the background head injuries, infectious diseases of the brain (meningitis). Most often observed hereditary form diseases.
In adults, epilepsy occurs much less often than in children. The cause of this disease in adulthood may be brain tumor, stroke, head injury, alcoholism, addiction, multiple sclerosis, parasitic diseases of the brain.

Against the background of some states, epilepsy occurs as a secondary disorder. For example:

Autism. For autists, epilepsy is more often observed than in people without autism. According to studies, about 30% of people have epilepsy.
Cerebral palsy. In children with children's cerebral paralysis, the risk of getting epilepsy according to research is from 15% to 90%.
Alcoholism. Epilepsy against the background of alcoholism first occurs during severe intoxication, then the attacks begin in sober state. A great risk of epilepsy in alcoholics, if they drink surrogate.
Addiction. Against the background of intoxication of the body, epilepsy can also join as a secondary phenomenon as a result of the intake of narcotic substances.

What factors can provoke an attack of epilepsy: List

Epileptic attacks can occur suddenly. But medicine identifies some factors that can provoke an attack.

These include:

Loud music;
Bright flashes of light;
Flame of fire;
Chronic lack of sleep;
Strong stress;
Hunger or overeating;
Caffeine, drugs, alcohol;
Some medicines;
Computer games.

People with epilepsy are better to avoid these factors. For example, do not visit clubs and bars with loud music and bright flashes of light. It is necessary to avoid stress and always get enough sleep. But even the correct lifestyle does not always guarantee that the attack will not begin.

Video: The whole truth about epilepsy

What is epileptic status?

You should know that an epileptic attack occurs only once. After which a person comes to life, calms down or falls asleep. But if the attacks occur one after another, this is a very dangerous condition.

Important: a series of seizures is called epileptic status. In this case, a person may die due to the suffocating or heart ablander.

In this case, the patient needs immediate medical care. Epileptic status is the main cause of the death of persons with epilepsy.

Diagnosis of epilepsy, which doctor treats epilepsy?

The treatment of epilepsy is engaged in a neuropathologist. In Soviet times, psychiatrists were engaged in the treatment of epilepsy. But it should be understood that the disease is neurological, therefore, at present, with suspicions of epilepsy, it should be addressed precisely to neurologists.

Sometimes an additional consultation of a psychiatrist is required. But this is in cases where there are concomitant symptoms.

Neuropathologists undergo an additional, more in-depth course on the study of epilepsy and receive the status of an epileptologist. You can find such a doctor in special epileptological centers.

Diagnosis of epilepsy It is carried out using:

Electroencephalography
MRI
Computed tomography
Angiography
Neuroradiralological diagnosis

Modern equipment and research methods allow you to conduct all the necessary hardware research. Also, the patient can prescribe blood donation, the doctor collects the history of the disease. Against the background of results, the doctor individually selects a treatment regimen for epilepsy.

It is extremely important to conduct an examination of a person with suspicion of epilepsy. Often, more dangerous diseases are masked under the epic confronts.

Treatment of epilepsy: medication, surgical, ketogenic diet, physiotherapy exercises

Epilepsy is treated with medication and surgically.

Surgery It is provided in cases where epilepsy is caused by brain tumors, with focal epilepsy. If the hearth is removed correctly, then the attacks cease. However, surgical intervention is an extreme measure. Basically, operations are done when drug treatment does not help or the hearth will find absolutely for sure.

In most cases, drug treatment is used. It makes no sense to call drugs for the treatment of epilepsy, since the dose, the drug is determined purely individually and are sold according to the prescription.

Drug treatment Quite long. On average, it lasts about 3-5 years. The abolition of taking drugs is carried out gradually and under the supervision of a doctor. As a rule, after taking the first drug, the patient becomes easier.

As auxiliary treatment is used ketogenic diet. This diet provides for low -carb diet with a large amount of fat, as well as a moderate amount of protein. Fat should become the main source of energy.

With epilepsy, it is successfully applied physiotherapy. The complex of special breathing and physical exercises is aimed at stabilizing the nervous system, harmonizing the mental state of a person.

Rehabilitation should begin as early as possible after the detection of epilepsy. It is proved that epilepsy with a high frequency of seizures for six months is worse for treatment.

Scientists also found that hereditary epilepsy is easier to treat.

Is it possible to cure epilepsy once and for all?

Important: Epilepsy is a rather complicated disease. But with the right approach, epilepsy can be cured in 65% of people. But the situation is complicated by the lack of epileptologists, not enough modern equipment, and, as a result, incorrectly prescribed treatment.

With proper treatment after taking drugs for 3-5 years, if attacks are not observed, the diagnosis is removed.

The purpose of the treatment of epilepsy is to achieve remission. Most patients are able to achieve this. If the attacks do not disappear completely, their number and frequency are significantly reduced. Only 15% of cases are difficult to amenable to therapy. There are also such forms of epilepsy, to establish the nature of which is impossible.

Is epilepsy inherited?

Yes, epilepsy can be hereditary. If the parents have a patient with epilepsy, the child has a chance to get an epilepsy several times higher than that of a child born of parents without epilepsy. However, epilepsy is not an indicator that the child will have 100% this disease.

If both parents have epilepsy, then with a high degree of probability the child will also have epilepsy.

How people with epilepsy live: public attitude to illness

Before talking about help to a person who had an attack, you should understand the public to patients with epilepsy.

Most people feel horror and panic when they witness an epileptic attack. It is worth saying that this is not the most pleasant sight. However, many begin to perceive epileptics as dangerous people. Some believe that a person with epilepsy can harm others during an attack.

In fact, people with epilepsy are completely not dangerous, and they can only do harm to themselves. They do this unconsciously during the fall and convulsions.

People with epilepsy live in the same way as ordinary healthy people. They have no barriers to create a family, study or work. But such people should responsibly choose activities so as not to harm not only to themselves, but also to others. For example, you can’t drive a car, work in high -rise work, at work with the need for increased attention, and engage in extreme sports.

You should also follow the daily and rest mode. Patients with epilepsy cannot be consumed by alcohol, playing computer games, well, and drugs cannot be consumed not only by faces with epilepsy, but also to everyone else. Provincial factors of epilepsy and take medication should be avoided. Then the disease will be under control.

Many patients are complex because of their illness. In order to help such people, it is necessary to educate society. It is important that people know that epilepsy is not a contagious disease, it does not carry healthy people with any danger.

People should know how to help with an attack, and do not shun people with epilepsy.

How to help a person with epilepsy and an epileptic seizure?

Important: if you have witnessed an epileptic attack, do not run away in a panic, do not remain indifferent. Help the person, because his life may be in danger.

How to help with an epileptic attack and not make mistakes:

You can not unclench your teeth to a person, especially some objects. So you can injure to yourself and the patient.
Do not restrain convulsive movements.
You can not do artificial respiration and heart massage.
You cannot transfer a person from the place of an attack during an attack. An exception if a person is in danger.
If during the attack of a person vomiting, you should carefully turn his head on his side and free his mouth from saliva.
You can also carefully turn the whole body on the side.
Under the head should be placed a bag, a folded jacket, if you have at hand - a pillow. It is impossible to allow a person to choke on saliva and die.
After the attack has stopped, you should ask the name of the person, where he is in order to make sure that he is in normal condition.
It is necessary to find out whether this happened to him for the first time or he takes therapy.
If the attack happened for the first time, it is necessary to call an ambulance.
If a series of seizures has begun, it is urgent to call an ambulance.

Video: How to help with an epileptic attack?

Prevention of epilepsy

Epilepsy is a disease that can develop at any age.

Therefore, you should lead a healthy lifestyle, do not abuse alcohol, do not use drugs, avoid stress, nightly lifestyle, do not hypothermia, protect your head from injuries.

In children, it is necessary to reduce the temperature in a timely manner, which can provoke the development of epilepsy. All people are recommended healthy sleep, moderate physical activity, and stay in the fresh air.

Life with epilepsy: reviews

Daria, 30 years: “I had the first attack at 20 years old. Then I did not think that epilepsy could happen to me. Once I left the house and fell. I woke up with a bitten lip. Then I did not attach importance to what happened, I thought that this happens, maybe from fatigue. But a few months later the attack was repeated. Only then did I pay attention to this. Now I live with epilepsy, take pills and buy attacks. This disease is very restraining you. For example, I do not go to the edge of the platform, I do not stand by the water, I can’t afford to go to a concert or take a walk all night with my friends. This disease requires a regime. Yes, the regime is beneficial, but the slightest retreat from him, and went. Many associate epilepsy with mental disorders, some consider you a psycho. And this is very unpleasant. There are many myths associated with the disease in society. It is very scary that you can die not from the attack, but from the fact that assistance will not be provided in time. ”

Vasily, 27 years old: “Epileptic attacks in my case began in childhood. Diseases were preceded by head injury, I fell from a horse. Now I drink 12 tablets per day. The disease did not become the center around which my life revolves. I can openly tell people about my illness, but this confuses them, frankness puts them in an awkward position. I am used to this attitude, and it even amuses me. I do not want me to know only as a sick epilepsy. There are other more interesting and important things in life. The main thing is how you yourself feel about it. And society will begin to accept such people over time, I am sure of this! ”

Epilepsy - the disease is quite unpleasant, but not the worst. If you saw that a person had an epileptic attack, find strength in himself and help him. Perhaps your actions will save a person life.