5 Things You Don't Know About Epilepsy

Though Epilepsy is the fourth most common neurological disease, there are a few thing you don’t know about.Epilepsy is also one of the most stigmatized.
When someone hears the word “epilepsy”, all we picture out a dramatic scene – A person shakes fiercely on the ground, person’s eyes roll to the back, etc. But some seizures are as subtle as a drooling mouth or a blank stare. While some could go completely unnoticed, says Dr. Vishal Jogi, one of the leading neurologist in Ahmedabad.
One patient may have an episode of epilepsy every 2 years while another could have 2 per day. Usually occasional seizures begin in childhood and gradually go away later in life. And in some cases it begins in later adulthood. Still any levels of seizures can affect a person’s quality of life as one can never know when their next seizure may strike.
Why do happen? If explained in a simple term, seizures occur when chemical and electric signals, that allow our brain cells to communicate with each other, becomes over activated. Depending on where in the brain the over-activity begins, different symptoms may occur.
Let’s debunk some common misconceptions about Epilepsy.

Epilepsy is characterized as the “tendency to have seizures.”

Experiencing a single seizure attack doesn’t mean you have an epilepsy. Seizure can be spiked off due to many other reasons like spike in a blood sugar or trauma to the head. A patient is diagnosed with epilepsy of he/she has two or more seizures. But in some case patients with one seizure attack is also diagnosed with epilepsy if the test shows that they would likely to reoccur.
In order to better understand their condition, patients are monitored with tests like electroencephalogram (EEG).

Epilepsy is treatable

Most seizure medications is some way decrease the activation of the brain cells that cause seizure. About two-third of the patient with epilepsy have seizures that can be controlled by medications. In some cases, surgeon removes the portion of seizure-causing brain tissue and they become free of seizures, with a very little side effects.
For those who do not respond to seizure medication, other therapies like brain or nerve stimulation might work. To the fact, with a proper care people with epilepsy can go on to live a normal lives.

Everyone has the same threshold for seizure

Everyone is born with a seizure threshold for some it might be high and for some it might be low. If your threshold is high you are less likely to have a seizure. However certain activities known as seizure triggers can lower your threshold such as stress, unhealthy diet or sleep deprivation.

If you see someone having a seizure, here’s what to do.

If a patient has epilepsy, he/she should make their colleagues, friends or family about the condition. If you ever witness a person having seizure attack, don’t be frightening rather be calm and ensure that the person is not near anything that’s harmful such as a swimming pool or sharp objects. Try to turn the person on his or her side. Otherwise, do not try to restrain the person, because this could cause injury. If you witness a person having seizure lasting longer than five minutes, you should call emergency medical treatment.