New Delhi, Delhi Sep 19, 2022 (Issuewire.com) - At NPMC we provide complete neurological examination and review of your brain scan (MRI or CT scan) and EEG at fraction of the cost as compared to other big institutions. At NPMC you see a certified Neurologist with expertise in Neurological disorders. Every effort is done to diagnosis promptly and give the right treatment to control your seizure so you can get back to work/school and achieve your goals in life despite having this terrible illness.
What happens in your brain when you have epilepsy?
. This electrical disruption causes changes in your awareness (including loss of consciousness), sensations, emotions, and muscle movements.
What are the signs and symptoms of epileptic seizures?
The main symptom of epilepsy is recurring seizures. Your symptoms, however, vary depending on the type of seizure you have.
- Temporary loss of awareness or consciousness.
- Uncontrolled muscle movements, muscle jerking, loss of muscle tone.
- Blank stare or “staring into space” look.
- Temporary confusion slowed thinking, and problems with talking and understanding.
- Lip-smacking, chewing motion, rubbing hands, finger motions.
- Faster heart rate and/or breathing.
What causes epilepsy?
Most of the time (in up to 70% of cases), the cause of seizures is not known. Known causes include:
- Genetics.
- Mesial temporal sclerosis. This is a scar that forms in the inner part of your temporal lobe (part of your brain near your ear) that can give rise to focal seizures.
- Head injuries. Head injuries can result from vehicular accidents, falls, or any blow to the head.
- Brain infections. Infections can include brain abscesses, meningitis, encephalitis, and neurocysticercosis.
- Immune disorders. Conditions that cause your immune system to attack brain cells (also called autoimmune diseases) can lead to epilepsy.
- Developmental disorders. Some birth abnormalities known to cause epilepsy include focal cortical dysplasia, polymicrogyria, and tuberous sclerosis. There’s a wide range of other brain malformations known to cause epilepsy.
- Metabolic disorders. People with a metabolic condition (how your body obtains energy for normal functions) can have epilepsy.
- Brain health issues that can cause epilepsy include brain tumors, strokes, dementia, and abnormal blood vessels, such as arteriovenous malformations.
What Types of Seizures Are There?
There are two major types of seizures:
Focal seizures: These start in a particular part of your brain, and their names are based on the part where they happen. They can cause physical and emotional effects and make you feel, see, or hear things that aren’t there. Generalized seizures: These happen when nerve cells on both sides of your brain misfire. They can make you have muscle spasms, a blackout, or a fall.
Generalized Seizures: There are six kinds of generalized seizures:
Tonic-clonic (or grand mal) seizures: These are the most noticeable. When you have this type, your body stiffens, jerks, and shakes, and you lose consciousness. Sometimes you lose control of your bladder or bowels.
Clonic seizures: Your muscles have spasms, which often make your face, neck, and arm muscles jerk rhythmically. They may last several minutes.
Tonic seizures: The muscles in your arms, legs, or trunk tense up. But if you’re standing up at the time, you can lose your balance and fall.
Atonic seizures: Your muscles suddenly go limp, and your head may lean forward. If you’re holding something, you might drop it, and if you’re standing, you might fall, people who tend to have atonic seizures may need to wear something like a helmet to protect their heads.
Myoclonic seizures: Your muscles suddenly jerk as if you’ve been shocked. They may start in the same part of the brain as an atonic seizure, and some people have both myoclonic and atonic seizures.
Absence (or petit mal) seizures: You seem disconnected from others around you and don’t respond to them. You may stare blankly into space, and your eyes might roll back in your head. They’re most common in children under 14.
Diagnosis and Treatment Electroencephalography (EEG)
This is the initial test performed on every patient and is usually done as an outpatient procedure (pictured here). It is used not only to diagnose epilepsy, but also to determine if the epileptic seizures are coming from a small part of the brain (partial seizures), or all over the brain (generalized).
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
This may detect an abnormality that could be the cause of epilepsy (lesional epilepsy) or may be normal (non-lesional epilepsy). With more powerful MRI machines and the use of special protocols and software, subtle brain abnormalities are increasingly being identified.
Positron emission tomography (PET)
PET scans look at the metabolic activity of the brain and allow physicians to determine if the brain is functioning normally.
Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)
When a person has a seizure, an increased amount of blood flows to the brain region where the seizure begins. SPECT scans performed during seizures can identify the brain region where blood flow increases and thus indicate where they begin.
Medication
Treatment for seizures often involves the use of anti-seizure medications. There are many different options for anti-seizure medication. Your doctor will consider your condition, your frequency of seizures, your age, and other factors when choosing which medication to prescribe
Surgical Procedures
Surgery for the treatment of epilepsy involves resection, disconnection, stereotactic radiosurgery, or implantation of neuromodulation devices.
The vagus nerve stimulator (VNS) is an FDA-approved device for the treatment of epilepsy that is not controlled with antiepileptic medications.
Status epilepticus
Status epilepticus is a long-lasting (five to 30 minutes) seizure or seizures that occur close together without time to recover between them. It’s considered a medical emergency.
Living and Coping with Epilepsy
People with epilepsy are at risk for two life-threatening conditions: tonic-clonic status epilepticus and sudden unexplained death in epilepsy (SUDEP). Tonic-clonic status epilepticus is a long-lasting seizure that's considered a medical emergency. If not stopped within about 30 minutes, it may cause permanent injury or death.
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