INFORMATION ON EPILEPSY

Epilepsy is a brain disorder involving repeated seizures

CAUSES OF EPILEPSY

Epilepsy is a disorder involves repeated seizures of any type. Seizures ("fits") are episodes of distressed brain function that cause changes in attention and/or behavior. They are caused by unusual electrical excitation in the brain.

Sometimes, seizures are related to a impermanent condition, such as exposure to drugs, withdrawal from certain drugs, or abnormal levels of sodium or glucose in the blood. In such cases, frequent seizures may not happen again once the underlying problem is corrected.

In other cases, injury to the brain (e.g., stroke or head injury) causes brain tissue to be unusually excitable. In some people, an inborn abnormality affects nerve cells in the brain, which leads to seizures. In some cases, no cause at all can be recognized.

Some of the more common causes of seizures include:

• Idiopathic (no identifiable cause)
o generally begin between ages 5 to 20
o can happen at any age
o no other neurological abnormalities present
o family history of epilepsy or seizures present.

SYMPTOMS OF EPILEPSY

The harshness of symptoms can differ greatly from simple staring spells to loss of awareness and violent convulsions. For many patients, the event is stereotyped (the same thing repeats) while some patients have many different types of seizures that cause different signs each time.
The type of seizure a person experiences depends on a various factors, such as the part of the brain is been affected, the cause, and individual response.
An aura consisting of a strange sensation (such as tingling, smell, or emotional changes) happens in some people prior to each seizure. Seizures may occur repeatedly without explanation.

TREATMENT OF EPILEPSY

If an underlying cause for recurrent seizures (such as infection) has been recognized, the cause can be treated, and this may stop the happening of further seizures. This may include surgical repair of tumors or brain lesions, or supplementary treatments.

Oral anti-convulsants may reduce the number of future seizures. Response is individual, and the medication used and dosage may have to be adjusted frequently. The type of medicine used depends on the seizure type, as some seizure types respond well to one medication and may respond poorly (or even be made worse) by others.
For some patients, the use of quite a lot of medications may still be inadequate. This is called refractory epilepsy.