LEARNING MORE ABOUT EPILEPSY

COMMON CAUSES/RISK FACTORS

Epilepsy may result from many pathologies that affect the brain. In a large number of cases, no specific cause can be identified (Idiopathic causes). Aetiological causes or some of the identified and associated causes of epilepsy include;

*Diseases/Infections
  Epilepsy is an illness that may occur as a result of the effect on the brain of other diseases such as;

• Menengitis
• HIV/AIDS
• Cerebral Malaria
• Febrile Convulsions or convulsions that occur, commonly in children of  between the ages of 18 months and three years, when they have a high temperature (fever) especially when suffering from common illnesses such as ear infections and colds. 
• Encephalopathy which is a general term that means brain disease, damage, or malfunction that may be caused by infections, toxins, drugs or alcohol related liver cirrhosis, kidney failure, physiologic changes, trauma, and other causes
• Toxoplasmosis which is a disease not frequently reported, that is caused by infestation of many warm-blooded animals by a parasite known as Toxoplasma gondii which may be transferred through eating meat of an infected animal.  The parasite can be found in the blood of a large number of any population worldwide, but very few people have symptoms because the immune system usually keeps the parasite from causing illness.

*Trauma
   For instance;

 

• Head injury in an accident, or as a result of violence.
• Birth trauma which may result from, as an example, difficult labour or wrongful use of forceps to extract a foetus during delivery 
• Birth asphyxia which is when a baby's brain and other organs do not get enough oxygen before, during or right after birth. 

*Drugs and alcohol abuse and withdrawal symptoms 

*Tumors and other space-occupying lesions of the brain

*Stroke
*Congenital malformations and developmental defects of the brain, etc.

TRIGGERS

A trigger is an event or situation that may  provoke, precipitate or set-off a seizure for someone who is already living with epilepsy. People living with epilepsy are likely to develop seizures when exposed to certain situations or conditions such as;

• Non- adherence to treatment(missed doses) or stopping treatment suddenly 
• Sleep deprivation
• Flickering lights 
• Alcohol and substance intake or withdrawal symptoms
• Dehydration
• Emotional stress
• Hormonal imbalances for example, Catemenial seizures usually occur during the menstrual cycle.
• Hyperventilation 
• Fever
• Exhaustion 

DIAGNOSIS

 

The diagnosis of epilepsy is one with far-reaching physical, psychosocial and economic implications. It is therefore important that the diagnosis is accurate and arrived at after thorough investigation.

The diagnosis of epilepsy is clinical and involves physical examination and careful inquiry into family history, perinatal history, developmental and social history, past medical history and seizure history.  

Special tests that the patient may undergo to ensure proper diagnosis are brain imaging through conducting a CT-scan or MRI, EEG, chest X-rays etc. 

Once a person has been diagnosed as having epilepsy, the next step is to learn how to live with epilepsy through proper management.

For inspirational messages on living with Epilepsy, follow one of our fellow's blog whose author is a person living with Epilepsy without limitation in life because of important life skills she has learned through the fellowship .

Photos courtesy of Google.