Purple Day for Epilepsy – Types of Epilepsy and their Treatment

Posted on: Mar 17, 2022 | 3 mins | Written by: HDFC ERGO Team

Purple Day for Epilepsy – Types of Epilepsy and their Treatment

Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders that can affect people of all ages. Although there is no cure for the condition, it can be managed with the right treatment and medications. Timely diagnosis and treatment are important factors when it comes to epilepsy; doctors have effectively managed the symptoms and seizures of many with the right medication. Keeping this in mind, March 26 is observed as Purple Day for Epilepsy every year. On this day, many individuals and organisations arrange events and seminars to make more people aware of the condition. Also, since health conditions can affect anyone at any time, it is important to stay prepared with a Mediclaim policy. With Mediclaim or health insurance, one can opt for timely and quality treatment without worrying about hospital bills.

Purple Day for Epilepsy: History

Purple Day for Epilepsy was founded by nine-year-old Cassidy Megan fromNova Scotia with the help of the Epilepsy Association of this Canadian province.Her struggle with epilepsy is what motivated Cassidy to come up with the concept of Purple Day. The first Purple Day for Epilepsy event was held on March 26, 2008.

In 2009, the Epilepsy Association of Nova Scotia joined hands with the New York-based Anita Kaufmann Foundation to launch the Purple Day internationally. This was done to promote awareness about the condition and encourage celebrities, politicians, organisations and others to do the same. Purple Day was given the Royal Assent in March 2012 and was declared the legal day for epilepsy awareness in Canada. Since its inception, the foundation has been working hard to expand its reach. It keeps organising structured campaigns and has partnered with many individuals and organisations across the globe to spread the message.

Importance of Purple Day

Epilepsy is the fourth most common neurological disorder that affects people around the world. It happens because of electrical disturbances in the brain and can come across as scary to those who have little or no knowledge about it.

Purple Day for Epilepsy is important because:

• It increases awareness and understanding about the condition and prevents people from making wrong assumptions.

• People with epilepsy often face discrimination. Hence, Purple Day educates more people about the condition, thereby reducing fear and discrimination.

What is epilepsy?

Characterised by frequent seizures, Epilepsy is a chronic condition of the brain that affects around 5 million people across the globe every year. As per reports, around 50 million people around the world have epilepsy. Those suffering from the condition may experience brief periods of spontaneous and automatic movement of a body part or the entire body. Epilepsy can also cause loss of consciousness or awareness, dizziness, twisting and tingling of limbs and other symptoms.

Epilepsy is noncommunicable but has no cure till date. However, timely diagnosis and treatment can help ease the symptoms. People with epilepsy can experienceseizures often. Although there are no specific circumstances or events that are found to affect seizures, the following can be common triggers:

• Lack of sleep

• Not taking prescribed medicines for seizures

• Taking medicines other than the ones prescribed

• Skipping meals

• Fever or any illness

• Stress

• Excitement

• Bright sunlight or flickering lights inside the house

• Menstrual cycle or hormonal changes

Some people experience frequent seizures and may require lifelong treatment to control them. For others, the seizures disappear eventually after the treatment. Children with epilepsy can outgrow the symptoms with age.

Epilepsy: Types

There are different types of epilepsy or seizures and a person suffering from the condition can experience one or more types. The three main types of seizures are focal seizures, generalised seizures and unknown seizures. Epilepsy can be of four types and each type has different effects on the brain. Moreover, the seizures and symptoms can be motor or non-motor. Hence, their treatments also differ.

Types of epilepsy:

1. Focal epilepsy:

Those with focal epilepsy experience focal seizures that affect only a part of the brain. This kind of epilepsy can start from one part of the brain and move to the other.

The symptoms of focal epilepsy can be mild or severe.The signs are minor initially, like a feeling that something is about to happen or a funny sensation in the stomach, like what one feels on a rollercoaster.

As the condition spread to other parts of the brain, more symptoms become prominent. The motor symptoms include:

• Confusion

• Muscle stiffening

• Muscle twitching

• Minor shaking

• Fumbling

• Repeated clapping, chewing and other movements

Some may also experience non-motor symptoms, such as goose bumps, changes in thoughts and emotions, hot and cold waves, and stiffness.

2. Generalised epilepsy:

Generalised epilepsy affects both left and right sides of the brain and people with this type, experience generalised seizures.It may have a genetic component as well, and hence, children and other family members of the affected person are at a higher risk of developing this condition.

Someof the motor symptoms are:

• Rigid muscles

• Jerking movements

• Muscle twitching

• Weakness

• Loss of muscle control

Non-motor symptoms include fluttering eyelids, sudden stiffness and staring aimlessly.

3. Combined focal and generalised epilepsy:

Someone with this type of epilepsy experiences a combination of symptoms mentioned above. People with Dravet syndrome and Lennox Gastaut syndrome may have combined epilepsy.

4. Unknown epilepsy:

In some patients, the cause or origin of the seizures is not known. Such people are diagnosed with unknown epilepsy. The seizures are a combination of motor and non-motor symptoms. Motor symptoms are:

• Loss of consciousness or stiffening

• Bluish face due to lack of oxygen

• Rapid or rhythmic jerking

• Loss of bladder or bowel control or both

Stillness and continuous staring are some non-motor symptoms.

Epilepsy: Diagnosis

Although seizures are majorly associated with epilepsy, some people can have seizures due to other reasons too, such as infection, fever, head injury and brain trauma.

However, if someone has two or more seizures for no obvious reasons, epilepsy can be the reason. To diagnose epilepsy, the first thing that doctors do is determine the type of seizure and its frequency.

The diagnosis of epilepsy may include a series of tests, such as:

• Blood tests

• A neurological examination

• EEG

• High-density EEG

• MRI

• Functional MRI

• CT Scan

• PET scans

• SPECT test

• MRS

• Neuropsychological tests

Epilepsy: Treatment

Though there is no cure for the condition, doctors prescribe a combination of medicines to stop or control seizures due to epilepsy. The medicines depend on various factors, like seizure type, frequency of seizures,age and medical history. Many people with epilepsy become seizure-free just by taking one anti-epileptic or anti-seizure medication.

For best results, the patient must keep the following in mind:

• Taking medications as prescribed.

• Not stopping any medication without the doctor’s advice.

• Not switching to herbal remedies, over-the-counter drugs or any other medication without consulting the doctor.

• Informing the doctor in case of unusual mood changes, like depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts.

If someone has drug-resistant epilepsy, the doctor may suggest the following:

• Surgery

• Vagus Nerve Simulation (VNS) therapy for focal seizures

• Dietary changes, such as ketogenic diet, Atkins diet and low glycaemic diet

When to seek medical help?

Anyone who suffers a seizure must contact a doctor without delay. The doctor may suggest certain tests to determine the cause of the seizure and start treatment accordingly. Timely diagnosis and the right medication can help manage epilepsy effectively.

Conclusion

No doubt epilepsy is a serious condition, but the seizures and symptoms can be controlled in most cases. Seeking timely medical help is important to prevent the condition from getting worse.Although there is no specific Mediclaim policy for this condition, a regular health plan does cover the treatment costs. Hence, it is essential to take a good health insurance policy for medical emergencies and peace of mind.

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

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