Diagnosing epilepsy is a complicated process that can take some time. Let’s look at the process.Watch More Health Videos at Health Guru: www.healthguru.com
Up to 60 million people have epilepsy, yet myths about the disease still abound. Get the facts here!Watch More Health Videos at Health Guru: www.healthguru.com
Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder that is characterized by recurrent attacks unprovoked. Seizures occur when groups of nerve cells, or neurons in the brain to send the wrong signals. Epilepsy is a condition in which nerve cells in the brain, from time to time release abnormal electrical impulses. There are many types of crises, mainly depending on what part of the brain is involved. The word epilepsy is silent on the nature of the arrest or the cause of the seizure, only seizures that occur again and again. Seizures are generally between 5 and 20 years, but can occur at any age. People with this condition have no other neurological problems, but often have a family history of seizures or epilepsy. Disorders that affect the blood vessels, such as stroke and TIA.
Epilepsy is the most common cause of convulsions after the age of 60. Dégénératives such as senile dementia of Alzheimer type may also cause seizures. People can be strange sensations and emotions, or to behave strangely. Maybe they are violent muscle spasms and loss of consciousness. Seizure disorders affect approximately 0.5% of the population. Some 1,5-5,0% of the population may have a crisis in their lifetime. Epilepsy ’s approximate annual incidence rate is 40-70 per 100000 in the industrialized countries and 100-190 per 100000 in poorer countries, the socio-economically disadvantaged are more riskEpilepsy can affect people of all ages. Epilepsy has many possible causes, including illness, brain damage and abnormal brain development. Epilepsy is not transmitted through the families (inherited).
Epilepsy is usually treated with drugs. Bromides were the first of the anti effective pure compounds. When the drugs do not work well, surgery or implanted devices, such as vagus nerve stimulator can help. Special diets can help some children with epilepsy. Ketogenic diets can be effective in the fight against certain types of epilepsy. Antiepileptics work by reducing abnormal firing of cortical neurons. These drugs may change the activity of neurotransmitters responsible for seizures or change the way ions River and neurons. Hemispherectomy is cerebral hemisphere is removed. The procedure does not happen very often. Temporal lobe surgery is performed to remove brain tissue where the seizure begins.
Epilepsy Treatment and Prevention Tips
Anti-convulsants taken and reduce the number of future seizures.
Surgery or implanted devices such as vagus nerve stimulators may help.
Do not place an object into the person’s mouth during a seizure.
Reduce the risk of head injury by wearing helmets during risky activities.
The ketogenic diet has been reported to reduce seizures.
Avoiding the trigger may prevent seizures.
I so far have $600 in donations that all go to the Epilepsy Foundation, including $30 of my own money. I was wondering if there are better ways instead of emailing or talking on the phone to ask if people would be willing to donate to this Foundation?
To the best of my knowledge, there is no national symbol for epilepsy. What do you think would be a symbol?
(If there is a national symbol, please let me know) Thanks!
I know that in the Shakespearean play Othello had epilepsy, although he is a fictional character.
As did Aristotle and Napolean…how did they treat it?
Epilepsy can affect any breed of dog, which includes our beloved Shih Tzu. There is a higher incidence of epilepsy in pure breed dogs of any size than in mixed breed dogs. For this reason the condition is likely to be inherited.
What is the main sign of epilepsy in the Shih Tzu or any dog? Seizures will be your main sign. Seizures can be categorized in three ways:
Intracranial
Extracranial
Seizures of unknown cause
Intracranial seizures are the result of detectable defects like a tumor inside the brain.
Extracranial seizures are caused by metabolic or toxic changes outside the brain that affect the brain and cause a seizure.
Seizure of unknown cause is called “idiopathic epilepsy.”
If your Shih Tzu is less than one year of age, the seizures are likely caused by congenital/genetic problems, infections or toxins. If your Shih Tzu is greater than six years old the seizures are likely caused by tumors or infectious/inflammatory problems. If the Shih Tzu between 1 and 5 years of age is normal between seizure episodes they are most likely in the third category of idiopathic epilepsy.
Epilepsy is similar to a lightning strike on a house that sends abnormal currents through the normal electrical system.
It is important to be able to recognize a seizure. This is often a difficult task for the Shih Tzu pet owner or any pet owner. Seizures can be so minor and show as only slight loss of muscle control that they can hardly be detected. Seizures in the Shih Tzu or any dog can also be so severe that the Shih Tzu paddles on the ground completely out of control. The Shih Tzu will be totally unaware of its surroundings and will seem abnormal after the seizure.
If you witness such an episode in your Shih Tzu and own a video camera, you might try taping the episode for your vet to see exactly what occurs. This will help your vet give you a more definitive explanation or diagnosis of what is going on with the Shih Tzu if you are unsure your Shih Tzu is actually experiencing seizures.
There are treatments for epilepsy, but no cure. The goal is to control the seizures and prolong the life of the Shih Tzu or other breed of dog afflicted with epilepsy. When left untreated, the disease and episodes will continue to worsen.
Treatment for epilepsy usually consists of a barbiturate like Phenobarbital. This drug can be used to treat the Shih Tzu or other dog with epilepsy over the long term, very much like treating epilepsy in humans. If you know of someone with epilepsy who has to take a barbiturate to control the seizures, you will also know most of these people can lead happy and productive lives on the medication. This is true also for the canine species.
The general goal of using barbiturates is to either reduce the number of seizures by half or to double the time between seizures. It is important to note the disease will never be cured by the medicine, however, as stated previously; it can lessen the misery of the Shih Tzu or other dog breed and also prolong its life. How well drugs control epilepsy in your Shih Tzu depends on each individual case.
The second choice in drugs for epilepsy in your Shih Tzu is to treat with potassium bromide. However, this drug does not have FDA approval. It is available to treat seizures in dogs by special license only. Some veterinary medical schools have this special license, and so do some private vets.
Just remember that if your Shih Tzu is diagnosed with epilepsy there are adequate treatment plans available and it is not a death sentence at all. Proper treatment is essential. Consult with your vet as soon as you notice any of the signs of epilepsy so he or she can begin an appropriate therapy program for your Shih Tzu.
Disclaimer: This article is for information only. It does not replace the consultation and advice from a qualified licensed vet or animal care professional. Please consult the appropriate professionals for any kind of health problem in your animals.
Source: Merck Veterinary Manual, eighth edition
This article is FREE to publish with the resource box.
My friend has has epilepsy since childhood. A few years ago he suffered a Grand mal seizure. He is now in his late 40’s. Is it possible that this has caused him to withdraw from any intimate contact or any display of affection?
Amongst the diseases that have frequently gripped Americans, Epilepsy is also the one. Though epilepsy allows its patients to lead a normal life yet the disease can be fatal due to the unexpected occurrence of seizures. Epilepsy can basically be defined as a disorder of the nervous system that causes a person to become unconscious suddenly, often with violent movements of the body. This attack that affects the individual’s brain is termed as ‘seizure’. Seizures happen due to the large electrical activity in the cranium (the bone structure that forms the head and borders and protects the brain). An epileptic is hit by a seizure suddenly any time and anywhere. Every individual has his own resistance to fight these seizures which is known as the seizure threshold. The minimum the seizure threshold, frequent are the seizure attacks and impacts. Seizures vary from person to person; a person during this attack behaves according to the kind of seizure.
Causes of Epilepsy-
It is very difficult to trace the exact foundations of this disease. However, there is a threefold division made in this regard-
Symptomatic Epilepsy- the case of epilepsy in which the reasons behind the disease can be well known. The causes can be various such as head injuries, meningitis, brain stroke and any other brain infection etc. The knowledge of the causes leads to an adequate and appropriate drug medication which varies from person to person.
Idiopathic Epilepsy — is the case when no lucid causes behind epilepsy seizures are revealed. Having a low seizure threshold is often deemed to be the only reason behind it. But, idiopathic epilepsy does respond well to its treatment by drugs.
Cryptogenic Epilepsy- it is the most challenging kind of epilepsy for the doctors for no reasons to it are known and medicines too are not much effective.
Preventing and Healing Epilepsy- Diet is often given importance in case of epilepsy. This is because many epilepsy patients are found to have less of omega-3 fatty acid DHA in their blood. So, a diet rich in this like the fatty fish, canned tuna are often recommended to make up this deficiency.
Since epilepsy is read and administered differently in case of men, women and children, the remedies too differ in each case. For instance, epileptic children are mostly advised a diet which is rich in fats, adequate proteins and low in carbohydrates.
Apart form diet prescription; epileptic patients are given anti-epileptic or anti-convulsion drugs. These drugs are mean to control and prevent the seizures. These drugs increase the patient’s seizure threshold and avert the electrical charges in the brain that can cause seizures. Anti — convulsion drugs are found to be quite successful in controlling seizures. For many people stress busters, biofeedback, acupuncture and meditation are cures to epilepsy.
Epilepsy Patients and You
Epileptic seizures can be quite scary for the rest of the public. Seizures can result in numbness, dizziness, and plucking clothes, smacking lips, swallowing and wandering around. Atonic seizures lead to a fall due to unexpected loss of muscle control; strong jerks to the body and at times even loss of consciousness are involved in myoclonic seizures and the most dreadful Tonic- clonic seizures result in an unconscious and stiffened body and loss of oxygen due to irregular breathing.
But if any such seizure happens in public or at home, it is the duty of the rest to help the patient. Don’t start hitting that person, stuff his mouth with something and give him some eatables or drinks. Just try to prevent him from any serious injury. Put some cushions near his head if at home or take the person to a roadside safe place if seizure hits publicly. Call an ambulance as fast as possible or rush to the nearest hospital.
Epilepsy affects people in all nations and of all races. The onset of epilepsy is most common during childhood and after age 65, but the condition can occur at any age. Epilepsy is a condition of the nervous system that affects 2.5 million Americans. More than 180,000 people are diagnosed with epilepsy every year. In epilepsy, the normal pattern of neuronal activity becomes disturbed, causing strange sensations, emotions, and behavior or sometimes convulsions, muscle spasms, and loss of consciousness. These physical changes are called epileptic seizures Seizures occur when there’s a sudden change in the normal way your brain cells communicate through electrical signals. Seizures can be triggered in anyone under certain conditions, such as life-threatening dehydration or high temperature. Other types of seizures not classified as epilepsy include those caused by an imbalance of body fluids or chemicals or by alcohol or drug withdrawal. A single seizure does not mean that the person has epilepsy. EEGs and brain scans are common diagnostic test for epilepsy.
Causes of Epilepsy
The common Causes of Epilepsy :
Injury to baby during delivery.
Infections of the brain-meningitis, encephalitis.
Hydrocephalus-excessive fluid in the brain.
Delay in delivery with decreased oxygen supply to brain.
Tumours, tuberculosis, parasites in the brain.
Drugs e.g. pencillin chloroquine, medicines for depression, angina.
Symptoms of Epilepsy
Some Symptoms of Epilepsy :
Fainting.
Memory loss.
Changes in mood or energy level.
Dizziness.
Headache.
Confusion.