epilepsy

epilepsy


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Thanks for building things good and necessary. " (I.B. on Twitter) Home »What is epilepsy? Origin and causes.

 What is epilepsy? Origin and causes. The term "epilepsy" describes a disorder of the brain that causes a predisposition to suffer repeated epileptic seizures. If you do not know anything about epilepsy, this is your starting point to know the essentials about the disease: its mechanism, the most frequent causes and the therapeutic options that patients have.

Epilepsy is not a psychiatric or mental illness, it is a physical problem caused by sporadic abnormal functioning of a group of neurons.

Since epileptic seizures that manifest intermittently are the only symptom, most people with epilepsy are fully capable of the rest of their time.

The term epilepsy derives from the Greek epilambaneim, which means 'catch by surprise' and refers to a set of diseases that are manifested by epileptic seizures caused by a problem in the brain. Generally, an epileptic seizure is triggered by an excess of electrical activity of a group of neurons (brain cells) hyperexcitable and can affect functions such as movement or behavior, or the level of consciousness (the notion of what happens around one ).

The crises usually last just a few seconds or a few minutes, after which it ends and the brain returns to normal functioning. The type of seizure depends on the part of the brain affected and the cause of the epilepsy. Epilepsy is one of the most common chronic nervous diseases and is caused by the abnormal electrical activity of brain cells.

Broadly speaking, there are two types of crisis: generalized, which affect the entire surface of the brain and cause loss of consciousness and partial or focal seizures, where the discharge begins in a specific area that can extend to the rest of the cortex cerebral.

 In some cases, just before the crisis, the patient experiences the aura. It is about the feeling that you will immediately suffer a partial or generalized crisis. In reality it is a partial epileptic seizure that is about to spread, although not all the auras are precursors of serious crises. To have epilepsy, you must have had more than one crisis. Epilepsy can be accentuated by several circumstances, such as hormonal changes or lack of sleep. How many people suffer from epilepsy?
In Spain, the prevalence is estimated at around 8 patients per 1000 inhabitants. This means that about 400,000 people suffer from epilepsy and, although this disease can affect anyone at any time of their lives, in most cases it manifests in childhood and after 65 years. In the world, a total of 50 million inhabitants coexist daily with epilepsy and, although there are circumstances such as hormonal changes or lack of sleep that could accentuate it, this pathology affects all races and in all countries equally.

Some people may have more than one seizure due to high fever, diabetes, other illnesses, stress, alcohol or drug use. These people do not have epilepsy because their crises are not due to brain diseases. Each year more than 20,000 new cases are diagnosed in Spain, and it is one of the most common chronic neurological diseases, until it becomes the second reason for ambulatory neurological consultation after headaches. Despite this, today patients with epilepsy still have to face a serious stigma derived from ignorance and social discrimination. However, approximately 70% of people with epilepsy can enjoy a full life, without crisis, thanks to the administration of antiepileptic treatments.

      It is quite common for people to suffer at least one epileptic seizure throughout their life. It is estimated that between 2 and 5% of the population will experience an episode of epilepsy at some time; however, this does not imply that it is a patient with epilepsy. According to the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE), to have epilepsy must have had more than one crisis. Also, keep in mind that some people may have more than one seizure caused by high fever, diabetes, other diseases, stress, alcohol or drug use. And that's not why these people have epilepsy.
What are the causes of epilepsy?

All the functions of the body are controlled by the brain. If something disturbs the normal functioning of the brain, an epileptic seizure may occur. Identifying the cause of the crises can be useful when deciding on a treatment plan. However, in more than 70% of people suffering from epilepsy the cause can not be identified.
Some causes of epilepsy:

    Diseases of other organs, such as diseases of the liver and kidneys, diabetes and alcoholism.
    Family epilepsies.
    Problems before birth that affect brain growth.
    Problems during delivery, such as brain injury.
    Head injuries, especially from car accidents.
    Brain tumors.
    Infections of the brain, such as meningitis or encephalitis.
    Another disease that damages or destroys brain tissue.
    Cerebral hemorrhage, that is, the formation of a blood clot inside the brain.
    Lead poisoning

How is epilepsy treated?

The first step is to go to the specialist to make sure that the patient has epilepsy before starting any treatment. The diagnosis of epilepsy requires that at least two unprovoked seizures have been suffered. Once the diagnosis is made it is advisable to start the treatment as soon as possible and follow it regularly.

The most common treatment uses antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), which manage to control seizures in approximately 70-80% of patients. Medications restore the chemical balance of neurons and attenuate abnormal electrical discharges.

Between 20-30% of people do not respond to simple pharmacological treatment (with only one medication) and several drugs must be combined. Even so, some epilepsies do not respond to medication and it may be necessary to resort to surgery or vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) by implanting an electrode under the skin of the neck.

Although treatment improves the quality of life and in most cases manages seizures, epilepsy patients still have to cope with the social stigma derived from ignorance of the disease.
To know more about the disease ...