Epilepsy

Epilepsy

Epilepsy is a medical condition where the person has seizures that keep on recurring. There are actually several types of seizures that range from mild to serious where the most common one is those where abnormal electrical activity in the brain affects the body in such a way that there would be change in body movement which is involuntary.

Prevalence
Epilepsy happens when there is some sort of disorder in the central nervous system where the nerve cell activity in the brain system is disrupted. This will then cause a seizure where the body is unable to control abnormal movements and behavior which could cause all types of situations. As it is known, seizure can come in various types where it could be merely staring blankly for a while to major movements of the legs and hands. It must be noted though that a person who gets seizure once is not epilepsy. The person is considered to be epileptic if seizures happen frequently for long periods of time.

Prevention
Epilepsy has been found to be genetic while some people get seizures at later stages of their lives. This is usually caused by some sort of head injury or medical condition that could have damaged the brain. As such, preventing epilepsy might be challenging as the cause of this problem is still very vague. The best chance to prevent epilepsy is to avoid any major head injuries.

Diagnosis
As there are several types of epilepsy, there are different types of tests that are used to determine and treat each of them. In most cases, the doctor will need to know the history and medical condition of the patient. After that tests like the Epilepsy EEG will be carried out to track electrical signals from the brain to other parts of the body. Other practices include blood tests, PET or positron emission tomography tests and spinal tap.

Statistics
It has been found that in general, about 50 out of 100,000 people will develop epilepsy which is quite alarming. However, it has been found that people who take brain and memory supplements like Ginkgo has reduced rates of developing this health disease.

Specialists
Epilepsy is a devastating condition and you must seek professional medical advice if your family members or you have this problem. In most cases, your family physician will be the first person to consult on what you should do with this condition. The doctor will then be able to give you the best advice and recommendation on what your next course of action should be. If required, you will need to see a specialist in the brain and nervous system known was a neurologist who will advise you on the type of treatment you will need. If the condition is more serious after diagnosing, then you might have to meet the epiletptologist who specializes in treating epilepsy.

Symptoms
The most common symptoms of epilepsy are seizures where there are several types. Seizures can last from a few seconds to minutes and if not treated immediately can have very dangerous consequences. The main problem with seizures is that it can almost occur without any signs while there are situations where the patient could have a feeling that a seizure attack is about to happen. When you feel certain parts of your muscle stiffen suddenly, then you must take precautions immediately as this could mean you might be having an attack very soon.

Medication
If you are diagnosed with epilepsy, you will most likely be prescribed with AEDs or anti-epileptic drugs. This is one of the most effective medications used and it has been found that up to 70% of people with epilepsy have stopped having such attacks. Unlike other types of medication, AEDs are preventive medication and would usually need to be taken daily to avoid seizures. Depending on the type of seizure, there are specific drugs involved. Acetazolamide and clonazepam are used to treat absence seizures and focal seizures as well. Sodium valproate and vigabatrin are given to patients with infantile spasms while lamotrigine and primidone are prescribed if you have tonic clonic seizures.

Home remedies
If any of your family members or you has epilepsy, taking modern medication and treatment would be the best way to cure. However, certain types of herbs have been found to reduce seizure attacks. This includes burning bush, groundsel, lily of the valley, peony, valerian and tree of heaven, among others. Besides that, you should ensure that your diet has high contents of folic acid, Vitamin B6, D and E which are used to treat epilepsy.

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References
http://www.webmd.com/epilepsy/epilepsy-faq#2
http://www.webmd.com/epilepsy/tc/epilepsy-symptoms

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