Epilepsy is one of the most common diseases of the nervous system in the world. In Greek, the name means "caught, grasped". In Russia, the disease was called "falling," it was identified with something given from above and was called a "divine disease." Below it will be considered which features of epilepsy distinguish it from other diseases accompanied by convulsions.
Symptoms of the disease
Signs of epilepsy in adults, children, and even animals - is, first of all, seizures, accompanied by convulsions, convulsions. In this case, it is also possible to lose consciousness, and even immersion in coma. Seizures can be predicted by the mood of the patient, a decrease in appetite, irritability.
The first signs of epilepsy in adults:
- characteristic convulsions;
- no reaction to external stimuli;
- absence of pupils' reaction to light.
Then the muscles of the trunk, arms, legs tense tively, the head throws back, and the face turns pale. During the transition to the next phase of the seizure, muscle contractions continue in an impulsive manner, in a clonic mode. Also for epileptic seizures is characterized by increased salivation in the form of foam at the mouth.
In case of small seizures, the first signs of epilepsy are strange human behavior, contraction of facial muscles, periodic repetition of illogical movements. Consciousness is lost, but the person retains the ability to stand on his feet.
In both cases, the person after the end of the seizure will not remember his circumstances.
There is also a classification of epileptic seizures that divides them into:
- Partial, when one or another region of the brain is affected;
- generalized.
In the second case, the entire brain of the patient suffers from an excess of electrical activity.
Causes
Today, the causes of seizures are not known reliably. In 70% of cases, the causes of epilepsy remain unknown. Signs of an epileptic seizure may begin to manifest as a result of:
- craniocerebral trauma;
- diseases caused by viral diseases;
- strokes and abscesses of the brain;
- brain tumors;
- congenital deficiencies of the brain associated with blood supply and caused by oxygen starvation.
About 40% of relatives of patients face signs of epilepsy in themselves. So we can say that one more cause of epilepsy is heredity.
Diagnostics
If a person has the initial signs of epilepsy, for the diagnosis of the disease apply methods of electroencephalography, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. This allows us to consider the dynamics of activity of the cerebral cortex.
Treatment of the disease
Methods of treatment of the disease are:
- medicamentous;
- non-pharmacological.
To the first we attribute:
- anticonvulsants - means, whose action is aimed at reducing the frequency and duration of seizures in seizures;
- neutrophilic drugs that depress or stimulate the transmission of nerve impulses through the CNS;
- psychotropic substances that affect the central nervous system and the mental state of a person.
Non-drug therapies are as follows:
- surgery;
- method Vojta (for infants);
- osteopathic method;
- special diet.
With the right selection of the method of treatment, the majority of people who previously had signs of epilepsy no longer experience seizures and can lead a normal life.
First aid will be needed in the following cases:
- if the attack lasts more than 3 minutes;
- with a repeated attack;
- at the first attack;
- if the attack occurred in a child, an elderly person or a pregnant woman;
- if within 10 minutes the patient did not regain consciousness;
- during the fit the person was injured.
Epilepsy is not contagious, and people suffering from it almost never experience any kind of problems with the psyche. A person prone to attacks does not pose a threat to anyone, and with proper assistance quickly comes to his senses.