Seizures- Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

What is Epilepsy?

Epilepsy is a brain condition that causes a person to have recurring seizures that are not caused by a short-term health condition. It is one of the most common neurological disorders. It affects people of all age group.

The brain consists of nerve cells that communicate with each other through electrical activity. A seizure occurs when one or more parts of the brain has an outburst of abnormal electrical signals that interrupt normal brain signals. According to Best Neurologist in Jaipur, anything that interrupts the normal connections between nerve cells in the brain can cause a seizure. This includes a high fever, high or low blood sugar, alcohol or illegal drug withdrawal, or a brain concussion. But when a person has recurrent seizures due to a permanent problem, this is diagnosed as epilepsy.

Causes-

A seizure can be caused by several factors. According to Neuro Doctor in Jaipur, anything which irritates the brain or causes nerve cells to have abnormal electrical activity can cause a seizure. These include:

• An imbalance of nerve-signalling brain chemicals
• Brain tumour
• Stroke
• Brain damage from birth, illness, past brain surgery, or injury
• Infection (meningitis, encephalitis)
• Hereditary epilepsy, when your genes cause you to have seizures
• Health conditions that alter the normal electrical activity of the brain, such as:

a. Illegal drug use or some medicines

b. Withdrawal of alcohol or medicines

c. Abnormal glucose levels

Symptoms-

The symptoms depend on the type of seizure. General symptoms or warning signs of a seizure can include: 

• Jerking movements of the arms and legs.
• Stiffening of the body.
• Loss of consciousness.
• Breathing problems or stopping breathing.
• Loss of bowel or bladder control.
• Falling suddenly for no apparent reason, especially when linked to loss of consciousness.
• Periods of rapid eye blinking and staring.

Treatment-

The aim of treatment is to stop or minimise seizures occurrence. Treatment is most often done with medicine as diagnosed by best neurologist in Jaipur. There are many types of medicines used to treat epilepsy based on the type of seizure a patient has.

Blood tests: A patient needs blood tests often to check the level of medicine in the body. Based on this level, the doctor changes the dose of medicine. A patient should have blood tests done to check the effects of the medicine on other organs.

Urine tests: Urine of the patient is tested to see how his body is reacting to the medicine.

EEG: This test records the brain's electrical activity. This is done by attaching electrodes to scalp. This test is done to see how medicine is helping in improving the transmission of electrical signals in the brain.