Please talk about epilepsy

My elder brother has been suffering from epilepsy for some years now. I am the person who is always with him to ensure any episode is anticipated or that it is attended to on time. It has not been easy for me as it affects my social life too. Kindly share information about it for […]

My elder brother has been suffering from epilepsy for some years now. I am the person who is always with him to ensure any episode is anticipated or that it is attended to on time. It has not been easy for me as it affects my social life too. Kindly share information about it for your teeming readers.

Abraham V.

Thanks Abraham for your question. According to the World Health Organization, “Epilepsy is a chronic disorder characterized by recurrent seizures, which may vary from a brief lapse of attention or muscle jerks, to severe and prolonged convulsions. The seizures are caused by sudden, usually brief, excessive electrical discharges in a group of brain cells (neurones). In most cases, epilepsy can be successfully treated with anti-epileptic drugs.”

It can also be further explained as the “seizure episodes as a result of excessive electrical discharges in a group of brain cells. Different parts of the brain can be the site of such discharges. One seizure does not signify epilepsy (up to 10% of people worldwide have one seizure during their lifetime). Epilepsy is defined as having two or more unprovoked seizures.”

What are the signs and symptoms?

Characteristics of seizures vary and depend on where in the brain the disturbance first starts and how far it spreads. Temporary symptoms occur, such as:

1. Loss of awareness or consciousness.
2. Disturbances of movement, sensation (including vision, hearing and taste), mood, or other cognitive functions.
3. People with seizures tend to have more physical problems such as fractures and bruising from injuries related to seizures.
4. Psychological conditions, including anxiety and depression.

Approximately 50 million people currently live with epilepsy worldwide. The estimated proportion of the general population with active epilepsy (i.e. continuing seizures or with the need for treatment) at a given time is between 4 and 10 per 1000 people.

What are the causes?

Epilepsy is not contagious. The most common type of epilepsy, which affects 6 out of 10 people with the disorder, is called idiopathic epilepsy and has no identifiable cause.

Epilepsy with a known cause is called secondary epilepsy, some of the causes of secondary epilepsy are:

1. Brain damage from prenatal or perinatal injuries such as a loss of oxygen or trauma during birth, low birth weight.
2. Congenital abnormalities or genetic conditions with associated brain malformations.
3. Severe head injury.
4. Stroke that restricts the amount of oxygen to the brain.
5. Infection of the brain such as meningitis and encephalitis.
6. Brain tumor (abnormal swelling)

Treatment options?

• Epilepsy can be treated easily and affordably with inexpensive daily medication. Recent studies in both low- and middle-income countries have shown that up to 70% of children and adults with epilepsy can be successfully treated (i.e. their seizures completely controlled) with anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs). It is possible to diagnose and treat most people with epilepsy at the primary health- care level without the use of sophisticated equipment.
• Surgical therapy might be beneficial to patients who respond poorly to drug treatments.

How to prevent the problem?

1. Idiopathic epilepsy is not preventable (those with no known cause).
2. However, preventive measures can be applied to the known causes of secondary epilepsy.
3. Preventing head injury is the most effective way to prevent post-traumatic epilepsy.
4. Adequate perinatal care can reduce new cases of epilepsy caused by birth injury.
5. The use of drugs and other methods to lower the body temperature of a feverish child can reduce the chance of febrile seizures.
6. Central nervous system infections are common causes of epilepsy in tropical areas, where many low- and middle-income countries are concentrated.
7. Elimination of parasites in our environment and education on how to avoid infections can be effective ways to reduce epilepsy.