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Conditions & Symptoms of Epilepsy

Epilepsy is a neurological disorder. It is characterized by sudden, unexplained and abnormal spurts of electric movements in the brain called seizures. When these occur, the person having the condition suffers from what are called fits, convulsions or spells. This causes a temporary breakdown in the function of the brain which exchanges messages between different cells, known as neurons. The result is a conflict and jarring of signals, leading to such reactions as fainting, disorientation and temporary nervous breakdown. According to Epilepsy.org, there are more than 3 million adults with epilepsy in the United States, and over 2 million children and adolescents.

  1. Conditions

    • The causes of epilepsy are not known. According to Epilepsy.org, in 4 out of 10 cases, there are very few common factors between people in this bracket, since they are found in all age groups, races and ethnic communities, and may or may not have had an epileptic in the family. Out of the remaining 6 cases, the causes are clearer to identify. It could be caused by either injury to the head, tumors or infections.

    Symptoms

    • The major symptoms of an epileptic spell include a feeling of dizziness, smelling a strange smell, a feeling of being away from the scene of your current presence, stiffness, trembling and blankness, or sudden jerking. The length of seizures can vary from one attack to another. Some patients have triggers, and these may vary from one person to another. Many patients experience no symptoms at all.

    Diagnosis

    • Those with seizures are given tests such as an MRI, CAT scan or an electroencephalogram. Although not infallible, these tests help the neurologist to get an idea of whether the patient has epilepsy or not.

    Treatments

    • Epilepsy is treatable, but not curable. As such, medications can only work on the symptoms, and not on the cause. The anti-epileptic treatments that are currently available work by controlling seizures. According to the National Institute of Health, doctors are studying drugs and the condition to develop a further understanding of how and why seizures occur. The National Institute of Health suggests that scientists hope to identify the genes that cause or increase the chances of a person developing epilepsy.

    Prognosis

    • In most cases, epileptics of all age groups lead a normal life. Although epilepsy can be a handicap and in some cases, social stigma exists in less developed countries, epilepsy is neither life threatening (unless an episode of fits leads to accident), nor does it cause permanent and irreversible damage to the brain. People who suffer epilepsy seldom have other neurological disorders, and if they do, epilepsy is almost never the cause.

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