MarketplacePhenobarbital Epilepsy Epilepsy - Symptoms, Causes and Treatment Epilepsy is a common chronic neurological disorder characterized by recurrent unprovoked seizures. [1] [2] These seizures are transient signs and / or symptoms due to abnormal, excessive or synchronous neuronal activity in the brain. [3] About 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy at some point [4]. Epilepsy is usually controlled but not cured, with medication, although surgery may be considered in difficult cases. Not all epilepsy syndromes are all along - some forms are confined to particular stages of childhood. What causes epilepsy? This is a sensitive issue, no clear response. Often, doctors can not pinpoint exactly what causes epilepsy in an individual. But scientists do know that these are some things that can make a person more likely to develop epilepsy: An injury to the brain, like a car crash or bike accident An infection or illness that has affected the brain development of fetuses during pregnancy Epilepsy can occur as a result of many different conditions that affect the brain. Examples of these conditions, a stroke (caused by a blockage of blood supply to parts of the brain), complications during childbirth, infections (such as meningitis, encephalitis, cysticercosis, or brain abscess), head injuries, and certain genetic diseases. Epilepsy Symptoms The eyes are usually open. The person may not appear to breathing. The person is often breathing deeply after one episode. The return to consciousness is gradual and should take place shortly. individual Simple partial - fully aware, abnormal contractions and movement of the body part, eg, head, eyes, feeling the hand or arm, or tingling; person may feel strange smells, sounds or likes Complex partial tastes - experience strange person or smells or dedja vu, the dream state the following: during an attack, lip smacking, grimacing or agitated can occur, may be followed by seizure generalized How is epilepsy treated? Medication Many drugs are available to treat epilepsy, several of which were recently released. Older, conventional drugs used to treat epilepsy include: Dilantin or Phenytek Phenobarbital Tegretol or Carbatrol Vagus nerve stimulation - This procedure involves minor surgery and is a relatively new treatment that can prevent or reduce the severity of crises. An electrical stimulator is placed under the skin of the upper chest. The stimulator, which emits electrical pulses, is connected to an electrode that is attached to a nerve in the neck through a small incision. A patient with a vagus nerve stimulator continues to take medication, but can sometimes reduce the amount or number of drugs. Surgery Surgery is an option for a small number of patients whose epilepsy can not be controlled with medication. A good candidate for surgery has seizures that begin in the same spot brain, which can be removed (resection) without deficits. Neurosurgeons generally avoid performing surgery in the brain areas responsible for speech, hearing, and other important functions. What is the prognosis? Most people with epilepsy live normal appearance. Although epilepsy can not currently be cured, for some people it does eventually go away. Most seizures do not cause brain damage. It is not uncommon for people with epilepsy, especially children, develop behavioral and emotional problems, sometimes the consequence of embarrassment and frustration or bullying, teasing, or avoidance school and society of others. Posted on March 11, 2010.
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