WHAT IS EPILEPSY?
Epilepsy is a medical condition that produces seizures or fits affecting a variety of mental and physical functions. It's also called a seizure disorder. When a person has two or more unprovoked seizures, they are considered to have epilepsy.
A seizure happens when a brief, strong surge of electrical activity affects part or all of the brain. One in 10 people will have a seizure in their lifetime, and 1 in 26 people will develop epilepsy.
WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF EPILEPSY?
In about 70% of cases there is no known cause. Of the remaining 30%, the following are the most frequent causes:
- Brain tumour and/or stroke.
- Head trauma, especially from automobile accidents, gunshot wounds, sports accidents, and falls and blows. The more severe the injury, the greater the risk of developing epilepsy.
- Poisoning, such as lead poisoning, and substance abuse.
- Infection, such as meningitis, viral encephalitis, lupus erythematosus and, less frequently, mumps, measles, diphtheria and others.
- Maternal injury, infection or systemic illness that affects the developing brain of the foetus during pregnancy.
WHAT STEPS CAN YOU TAKE TO MANAGE SEIZURES?
Seizures can cripple life and daily routine. Here are a few steps you can take to manage seizures:
- Prevent: The best way to prevent seizures is to take your seizure medications as instructed. If you are not seizure-free on your current medications, talk with your doctor about possible changes to your treatment plan. If seizures are not controlled after appropriate attempts with 2 medications, other non-medication strategies (such as surgery, devices, or dietary therapy) may be considered. Looking at triggers for your seizures or patterns for when your seizures occur may also be helpful. Some people may not have any trigger or pattern that they can recognize. However, if anything can be identified, this may help improve your treatment plan to prevent seizures from happening.
- Pause: If you are encountering a new situation where you think you might get hurt if you had a seizure, simply pause and think. Many people with epilepsy will ask their doctors if it is okay for them to do certain activities, such as ride a bike or take a vacation. Although you may never be able to take all the risk out of an activity, if you can pause and think about the situation, you may be able figure out a solution. Check out the tips for safety at work, at camp, and with exercise and sports.
- Plan: Coming up with an individualized seizure response plan is important to ensure your safety. For most people, this may include making sure that your family members and close friends know what to do when a seizure occurs and when to call for help. Talk to your doctor about your risk for a seizure emergency and developing a seizure rescue plan. Your doctor may consider providing a rescue medication to be given at the time of a seizure to try and stop it immediately. Having a well-developed plan will help keep you safe if a seizure happens.
WHY KIMS?
KIMS, one of the best epilepsy treatment in Hyderabad, aims to maximize your quality of life, and make a seizure-free life an attainable goal for you. Dr. Sita Jayalakshmi, one of our best epilepsy doctors in Hyderabad, as well as other experienced epilepsy specialists offer a comprehensive epilepsy evaluation, a wide range of treatment options including medications, dietary therapies, implantable neurostimulators and epilepsy surgery in Hyderabad. KIMS takes pride in offering quality, specialized seizures treatment in Hyderabad.