what is the Epilepsy

Anyone can develop epilepsy, but it’s more common in young children and older adults. It occurs slightly more in males than in females. There are two main types of seizures. Generalized seizures affect the whole brain and Focal (partial) seizures, affect just one part of the brain.

• Certain genetic syndrome
• Stroke due to lack of oxygen to the brain (leading epilepsy cause in over age 35)
• Very high fever
• Head trauma
• Brain tumor or cyst
• Very low blood sugar
• Dementia or Alzheimer’s disease
• Brain infections such as meningitis, encephalitis or neurocysticercosis
• Congenital abnormalities or genetic conditions with associated brain malformations
• Alcohol withdrawal

Focal (partial) seizures

It doesn’t involve loss of consciousness. Symptoms include; alterations to sense of taste, smell, sight, hearing, or touch, dizziness, tingling and twitching of limbs

Generalized seizures

Generalized seizures involve the whole brain. There are six types:

Absence seizures, which used to be called “petit mal seizures,” cause a blank stare. This type of seizure may also cause repetitive movements like lip smacking or blinking. There’s also usually a short loss of awareness.

Tonic seizures cause muscle stiffness.

Atonic seizures lead to loss of muscle control and can make you fall down suddenly.

Clonic seizures are characterized by repeated, jerky muscle movements of the face, neck, and arms.

Myoclonic seizures cause spontaneous quick twitching of the arms and legs.

Tonic-clonic seizures used to be called “grand mal seizures.” Symptoms include; stiffening of the body, shaking, loss of bladder or bowel control, biting of the tongue and loss of consciousness.

As many as link 500 genes may relate to epilepsy in some way. For most people, the risk of developing epilepsy before age 20 is about 1 percent. Having a parent with genetically linked epilepsy raises that risk to 2 to 5 percent. For people over age 35, a leading cause of epilepsy is stroke. Between 15 to 30 percent of children with intellectual disabilities have epilepsy. Between 30 and 70 percent of people who have epilepsy also have depression, anxiety, or both. Between 60 and 70 percent of people with epilepsy respond satisfactorily to the first anti-epilepsy drug they try. About 50 percent can stop taking medications after two to five years without a seizure. One-third of people with epilepsy have uncontrollable seizures because they haven’t found a treatment that works. More than half of people with epilepsy who don’t respond to medication improve with a ketogenic diet. Three quarters of people with epilepsy living in low-income countries do not get the treatment they need. References: Healthline.com , Who.int/news