Causes, Symptoms & Treatment of Epilepsy – Become Aware on National Epilepsy Day

Posted on: Nov 11, 2021 | | Written by:

Causes, Symptoms & Treatment of Epilepsy – Become Aware on National Epilepsy Day

Published on November 11, 2021. EST READ TIME: 3 minutes

National Epilepsy Day - Health insurance

Around 50 million people* globally have epilepsy. You may have seen someone suffering from recurrent seizures arising due to involuntary movement in the body. While it is possible that those affected by it can live a seizure-free life if properly diagnosed and treated, the risk of premature death in epilepsy patients is much higher than others. On National Epilepsy Day, 17th November, it is important to spread awareness about this disease. So, let’s learn more about the causes, symptoms, and treatments available for this ailment and why a health insurance plan is a must-have for someone with this disease.

What is epilepsy?

Epilepsy is a disorder in which a person’s normal nerve cell activity in the brain is disrupted. This can cause troubling episodes called seizures. During a seizure, a person can experience abnormal behaviour, symptoms and sensations, sometimes leading to unconsciousness. There are very few common symptoms between various episodes of seizures. Epilepsy is usually treated with medications. Sometimes, curative surgeries, dietary changes, medical devices to curtail or minimise symptoms are also used to treat cases of epilepsy.

What are the causes of epilepsy?

As stated earlier, epilepsy is a neurological disorder. Any event, therefore, resulting from faulty brain wiring (the nerves are considered as the circuits of the brain), brain inflammation, physical injury, head trauma and infection, can cause epilepsy. Some of the main causative factors of this disorder are as under.

● Brain Structure Abnormalities:

These are physical and qualitative defects in the brain structures such as aberrant neuronal or glial proliferation, too many or too few neurons in a specific patch of the brain, etc.

● Genetics:

A mutation in a person’s genes can cause them to be susceptible to epilepsy. Often, the excess of / lack of the hormone that controls nerve excitability is the reason for epilepsy.

● Immune System Abnormalities:

The presence of autoantibodies related to voltage-gated potassium channels can sometimes lead to a person’s susceptibility to epilepsy.

● Infectious Diseases:

Certain infectious diseases like encephalitis (brain fever) and meningitis can cause a breakdown in the blood-brain barrier and this could result in toxins being released, increasing one’s likelihood of contracting epilepsy.

● Stroke:

Strokes have been known to cause epileptic seizures.

● Trauma:

Physical trauma to the brain or skull can also cause epilepsy.

● Idiopathic Reasons:

In nearly 50% of patients with epilepsy, the cause of the seizures has been found to be idiopathic (unknown) in nature.

What are the symptoms of epileptic seizures?

Usually, the symptoms of epileptic seizures are self-diagnosable. This means that the person going through the seizure knows what is happening to them. Very often they also know how it begins and what kind of behaviour/remedial action needs to be taken. The most common symptoms of seizures are as follows:

● Temporary confusion
● Staring spells
● Stiffness in the muscles
● Uncontrollable jerking movements in the arms / legs
● Loss of consciousness or awareness
● Psychological symptoms like anxiety, fear, nervousness or Deja vu

Diagnosis

Diagnosis helps to understand where a lesion in the brain is causing seizures, and thus, helps in effective treatment. Some of the tests that a doctor will recommend are:

• Electroencephalography (EEG):

In this test, sensors are attached to the brain which helps to detect the presence of any unusual electrical activity.

• Brain scan:

Any tumour growth in the brain can be detected with a brain scan. The scan will also show any scar or internal damage that can cause epilepsy.

• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI):

With the help of radio waves and powerful magnets, a brain MRI will help your doctor get a detailed view of the brain, including brain tissues. Any abnormalities or lesions causing seizures can be easily detected.

• Magneto Encephalography (MEG):

Any possible areas of the onset of seizure can be identified with the help of MEG. The test will help detect brain activity and measure the magnetic fields produced by it.

How can epilepsy be treated?

Epilepsy is commonly treated with medications. These include nerve pain medications (which block the pain from damaged nerves), sedatives (which cause drowsiness, dulled senses and a sense of calm) and anti-convulsant, which control or altogether prevent seizures. The most common therapy is a combination of some form of all three medications. There are certain therapies that are used in the treatment of epilepsy as well. The most common of which is CBT or Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, though its efficacy is still being studied.

Conclusion

Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders present in India. As there are no specific health insurance to cover epilepsy, ensure that your health insurance plan has adequate coverage to meet any eventualities related to epilepsy in addition to other health-related expenses.

Disclaimer: The above information is for illustrative purpose only. For more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before concluding the sales.

*World Health Organization

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