Living A Normal Life With Epilepsy

Epilepsy is a neurological disorder with aberrant brain activity.  It causes seizures or episodes of odd behavior, sensations, and even loss of consciousness. Epilepsy can strike any person irrespective of time and place. Variations can be found in seizure symptoms. During a seizure, some epileptics just stare blankly for a brief period of time.  Some others may jerk their arms or legs repeatedly. Epilepsy does not always manifest after a single seizure. If you experience two such episodes of seizure occurring 24 hrs apart it is typically necessary for investigations. 

What exactly happens in epilepsy?

Seizures can disrupt any process inside your brain.  All our activities are controlled by smooth running of the nerve network of the brain. Epilepsy disrupts it by aberrant brain activity. It can cause:

• Temporary perplexity
• A bout of staring
• Rigid muscles
• Jerky, uncontrollable arm and leg movements
• Loss of awareness or consciousness

What are the main causes of epilepsy?

Genetic influence : Certain forms of epilepsy run in families and are classified by the sort of seizure you have or the area of the brain that is affected. There most likely is a genetic component in these circumstances.

Head trauma : Epilepsy can be brought on by head trauma brought on by a vehicle accident or another traumatic injury.

Brain abnormalities : Anomalies in the brain. Epilepsy may be brought on by abnormalities in the brain, such as tumors or vascular anomalies including arteriovenous and cavernous malformations (AVMs). For adults over the age of 35, stroke is the main cause of epilepsy.

Infections : Epilepsy can be brought on by parasite diseases, meningitis, HIV, viral encephalitis, and more.

Prenatal injury : Infants are vulnerable to brain injury before birth, which can be brought on by a number of things, including a mother’s infection, inadequate nourishment, or oxygen deprivation. Cerebral palsy or epilepsy may occur from this brain injury.

Developmental disorders : Autism and other developmental abnormalities have been linked to epilepsy on occasion.

Who is at risk?

Age : Epilepsy can start at any age, but it most frequently does so in young children and elderly people.

Family history: Information on the family: A seizure problem may be more likely to occur in you if epilepsy runs in your family.

Head injuries: Some epilepsy instances are brought on by head trauma. By using a seatbelt when driving and using a helmet while skiing, bicycling, operating a motorbike, or engaging in other activities that carry a high risk of head injuries, you can lessen your risk.

Can epilepsy affect memory?

During sleep we consolidate our memory process. Epilepsy may disrupt these electrical circuits and oscillate the network. People with seizure disorders often suffer from memory deficits. People find it difficult to retrieve memories of an event or information. Memories related to words, numbers, codes or problem solving are often impaired.

Does it get worse with age?

Young children and old people are at more risk for developing epilepsy. People with seizures in early life often get better with time. Many individuals do well in adjusting with life as age advances.

Can you exercise with epilepsy?

Physical activities increase the quality of life for all. Same applies to people with epilepsy. A sedentary lifestyle may invite diseases and make life more difficult. People with epilepsy should engage themselves in some exercises where the risk of accidents are low. Walking or running on a playground is such an example. Exercising under supervision is always better.

Can stress cause epilepsy?

Stress in life is inevitable and human beings fight with stress at each and every step of life. Acute stress teaches us lessons in life whereas chronic stress invites diseases. Epileptic individuals can deal with acute stress very well. At times worries, sleeplessness can precipitate seizures. It’s better to avoid stressful events and have an uninterrupted sleep to have a healthy life. 

What are the types of seizure in epilepsy ?

1. Focal seizures

There are two types of these seizures:

Focal seizures without loss of consciousness : These seizures—once known as simple partial seizures—don’t result in unconsciousness. They might modify feelings or alter how objects sound, feel, look, smell, or taste. Deja vu can happen to some people. This kind of seizure may also cause an uncontrollable jerking of a single body part, such as a leg or an arm, as well as spontaneous sensory symptoms like tingling, lightheadedness, and flashing lights.

Focal seizures with impaired awareness : These seizures, which were once known as complex partial seizures, include a shift or loss of consciousness or awareness. This kind of seizure could make you feel like you’re dreaming. You might stare off into space, not react normally to your surroundings, or make repetitive movements like rubbing your hands together, chewing, swallowing, or walking in circles during a focal seizure with decreased consciousness.

 Focal seizure symptoms might be mistaken for those of other neurological conditions such migraine, narcolepsy, or mental illness. To identify epilepsy from other illnesses, a thorough examination and tests are required.

2. Generalized seizures

Absence seizures : Children are often the ones that get absence seizures, also known as petit mal seizures. They often last between 5 and 10 seconds and are characterized by blank stares, along with or without modest physical motions like lip smacking or eye blinking. There may be a brief loss of awareness during these clustered seizures, which can happen up to 100 times per day.

Tonic seizures : Tonic seizures result in tense muscles and can have an impact on consciousness. Your back, arms, and legs may get weakened by these seizures, which can result in a loss of balance.

Atonic seizures : Loss of muscle control is a symptom of atonic seizures, also called drop seizures. This frequently results in you collapsing or falling because it typically affects the legs.

Clonic seizures : Clonic seizures are characterized by jerking, repetitive, or rhythmic muscular movements. The arms, face, and neck are typically affected by these seizures.

Myoclonic seizures : The upper torso, arms, and legs are typically affected by myoclonic seizures, which typically present as quick, short jerks or twitches.

Tonic-clonic seizures : The most severe form of epileptic seizure is a tonic-clonic one, formerly known as a grand mal seizure. These can result in a sudden loss of consciousness as well as stiffness, twitching, and shaking of the body. They can occasionally result in tongue biting or loss of bladder control.