Know all about Epilepsy

Epilepsy is a group of neurological disorders characterized by epileptic seizures. Epileptic seizures are episodes that can vary from brief and nearly undetectable to long periods of vigorous shaking. These episodes can result in physical injuries including occasionally broken bones. 

A lot of people think of epilepsy as a children's illness, because you get it when you are young, and then you have it throughout your life. There are a lot of reasons that you can get it, anywhere from an infection, a stroke, head injuries, too much alcohol, can all provoke a seizure - Dr. Simachal Mishra, Neurologist  

In epilepsy, seizures tend to recur and as a rule, have no immediate underlying cause. Isolated seizures that are provoked by a specific cause such as poisoning are not deemed to represent epilepsy. People with epilepsy in some areas of the world experience varying degrees of social stigma due to their condition.

A person is diagnosed with epilepsy if they have two unprovoked seizures (or one unprovoked seizure with the likelihood of more) that were not caused by some known and reversible medical condition like alcohol withdrawal or extremely low blood sugar.

The seizures in epilepsy may be related to a brain injury or a family tendency, but often the cause is completely unknown. The word "epilepsy" does not indicate anything about the cause of the person's seizures or their severity.

Many people with epilepsy have more than one type of seizure and may have other symptoms of neurological problems as well. 

Sometimes EEG (electroencephalogram) testing, clinical history, family history, and outlook are similar among a group of people with epilepsy. In these situations, their condition can be defined as a specific epilepsy syndrome.
Although the symptoms of a seizure may affect any part of the body, the electrical events that produce the symptoms occur in the brain. 

The location of that event, how it spreads, how much of the brain is affected, and how long it lasts all have profound effects. These factors determine the character of a seizure and its impact on the individual.

Epilepsy is a treatable condition in most patients, say experts. It is amongst the common neurological conditions. According to the WHO, there are nearly 50 million people with epilepsy worldwide with nearly 12 million residing in India, amounting to nearly one-fifth of the global burden.

“Epilepsy or seizure disorder has neurobiological, cognitive, psychological and social consequences. It causes a temporary disturbance of motor, sensory, or psychological function and can cause other health problems. 

It is estimated that there may be about 12 million people with epilepsy in India, making it to almost one-sixth of the global burden” says Dr. Rahul Hanumanthagiri, Neurologist, Apollo Hospital Secunderabad

“It takes around two years for the treatment of epilepsy. And we have seen that compliance to medications is a major issue with only a few of our patients adhering to the regimen. Once patients are seizure free for a few days, they stop the medication until they suffer another episode. 

A lot of people think of epilepsy as a children's illness, you get it when you're young, and then you have it throughout your life. There are a lot of reasons that you can get it, anywhere from an infection, a stroke, head injuries, too much alcohol, things like that can all provoke a seizure.” says Dr. Simachal Mishra, neurologist, Max cure hospital, Hyderabad. 

Epilepsy is quite a serious problem in India. But people should understand that it is a controllable disease. Epilepsy is an electro-clinical syndrome. It is diagnosed by electroencephalography (EEG) and neuroimaging using CT/ MRI (brain). 

Most of the epilepsies are curable or can be controlled with appropriate medicines. We have seen that compliance to medications is a major issue with only a few of our patients adhering to the regimen. Once patients are seizure free for a few days, they stop medication until they suffer another episode

Surgery is advised in some selected cases when medications fail to deliver results. Surgery benefits vary from helping reduce falls from seizure, decreased number of epileptic attack, halt progressive neurological deficit and in some cases may make the patient seizure and drug-free for life.

Seizures are dangerous. It can lead to accidents and other occupational hazards, depending on the types of work. It poses a huge risk, especially those who work at high-rise buildings or near water which could lead to drowning.