Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a condition in which the patients suffer from so-called attacks or seizures. During a seizure (sometimes also called a fit or attack) the patient loses control over various bodily functions: some lose control of their muscles, others over their thinking process.
What causes epilepsy?
An epileptic seizure can best be described as a sudden storm in the brain. There is a temporary fault in the network of connections between the millions of cells in the brain. These brain cells continuously exchange information. Normally, this happens in a very structured way. In the case of epilepsy, large groups of brain cells sometimes start exchanging information with each other at the same time. The resulting chaos produces an epileptic seizure.
Basically, there are two types of seizures:
- seizures that originate in a particular area of the brain; doctors refer to this as a partial or partial-onset seizure;
- seizures that originate in all brain cells simultaneously; this is known as a generalised seizure. An important characteristic of this type of seizure is usually loss of consciousness.
Can epilepsy be treated?
In some patients epilepsy disappears of its own accord, and in others the seizures are so mild that no treatment is called for. The purpose of any treatment is to minimize as much as possible the risk of a seizure occurring.
There are a range of medications for epilepsy (anti-epileptics) available; one treatment may work well for one patient or type of seizure, while a different treatment may work better for another.
For more information see your Doctor or Healthcare Professional.
TOP
