What is Epilepsy?
Epilepsy is a chronic issue that creates unprovoked, recurrent seizures. A seizure is an unexpected rush of electrical activity in the brain. However, there are two kinds of seizures. Generalized seizures may influence the whole brain. Focal, or partial seizures, influence just one part of the brain.
A mild seizure may be hard to determine. It can last a few seconds, throughout which you lack awareness. Stronger seizures may create spasms and unmanageable muscle twitches and can last a few seconds to more minutes. During a powerful seizure, some people become disoriented or lose consciousness. Afterward, you may have no memory of it occurring.
However, there are much more reasons you might have a seizure. These may include:-
- High fever
- Head trauma
- Very low blood sugar
- Alcohol withdrawal
Epilepsy is a fairly familiar neurological issue that affects 65 million people around the world. In the United States, it influences about 3 million people. Anyone can build epilepsy. But is severely familiar in young children and older adults. However, it may occur slightly severely in males than in females.
What are the symptoms of epilepsy?
Seizures are the major sign of epilepsy. Symptoms may vary from person to person and according to the kind of seizure.
Focal partial seizures
A simple partial seizure does not involve a drop of consciousness. Symptoms may include:-
- Alterations to a sense of taste, smell, sight, hearing, or touch
- Dizziness
- Tingling and twitching of limbs
Complex partial seizures may involve a drop of awareness or consciousness. Other symptoms may include:-
- Staring blankly
- Unresponsiveness
- Performing repetitive motions
Generalized seizures
However, the generalized seizure may involve the whole brain. There are six kinds:-
- Absence seizure: Which used to be known as “petit mal seizures,” cause a blank stare. However, this kind of seizure may also create motions such as lip-smacking or blinking. There is also normally a short drop of awareness.
- Tonic seizure: However, these may cause muscle stiffness.
- Atonic seizure: However, these may guide to the loss of muscle control and can build you to fall suddenly.
- Clonic seizure: However, these are marked by repeated, jerky muscle motions of the face, neck, and arms.
- Myoclonic seizure: However, it may cause spontaneous rapid twitching of the arms and legs.
- Tonic-clonic seizure: However, it may be used to be known as “grand mal seizures.”
What causes epilepsy?
For 6 out of 10 people with epilepsy, the cause can not be decided. A variety of things can guide seizures. Possible causes may include:-
- Traumatic brain injury
- Disfiguring on the bran after a brain injury (post-traumatic epilepsy)
- Sensible illness or very high fever
- Stroke, which is a guiding cause of epilepsy in people over age 35
- Other vascular diseases
- Lack of oxygen to the brain
- Brain tumor or cyst
- Dementia or Alzheimer’s disease
- Maternal drug use, prenatal injury, brain malformation, or lack of oxygen at birth
- Infectious diseases like AIDS and meningitis
- Genetic or developmental issues or neurological disorders
Heredity plays a vital role in some kinds of epilepsy. There’s a 1% chance of building epilepsy before 20 years of age. However, if you have a parent whose epilepsy is connected to genetics, that raises your risk to 2 to 5%.
How is epilepsy diagnosed?
However, if you suspect you have had a seizure, see your health consultant as soon as possible. A seizure can be a sign of a sensible medical issue. Your medical history and sign will support your consultant decide which exams will be helpful. You will probably have a neurological test to examine your motor abilities and mental functioning.
To diagnose epilepsy, other situations that cause seizures should be ruled out. Your health consultant will probably suggest a complete blood count and chemistry of the blood. Blood exams may be useful to seek for:-
- Symptoms of infectious diseases
- Liver and kidney function
- Blood glucose levels
Electroencephalogram (EEG) is the most familiar exam used in diagnosing epilepsy. First, electrodes are added to your scalp with a paste. However, it is a noninvasive, painless exam. You may be asked to execute a specific task.
In some cases, the exam is performed during sleep. The electrodes documented the electrical activity of your brain. The imaging test can reveal tumors and other abnormalities that can create seizures. However, these exams might include:-
- CT scan
- MRI
- Positron emission tomography (PET)
- Single-photon emission computerized tomography
Epilepsy is normally diagnosed if you have seizures for no evident or reversible reason.
