Epilepsy: Causes, risk factors, right time to see doctor, diagnosis, treatment

Did you know one with epilepsy has constant seizures and may find it difficult to do his/her daily chores? Know about the factors leading to this neurological condition, its risk factors, right time to consult the doctor, diagnosis and how it is managed or treated promptly by doctors.

Epilepsy is a noncommunicable disease of the brain that impacts lakhs of people around the world. It means a debilitating neurological condition linked to one’s central nervous system.

Epilepsy: Causes, risk factors, right time to see doctor, diagnosis, treatment (Image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay )

Are you aware people of any age group can suffer from this condition? One who is diagnosed with this condition will get seizures anytime and anywhere and the red flags of it are confusion, unawareness, loss of consciousness and even uncontrollable jerking movements.

Thus, you will not be able to do real-world activities with ease. Those with seizures (fits) need to take enough care since fits are seen due to episodes of changed electrical activity in the brain and can vary based on the part of the brain involved.

Causes of epilepsy:

In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Anil Venkitachalam, Consultant Neurologist at Zen Multispeciality Hospital in Chembur, revealed, “You will be shocked to know that certain factors such as stroke, head/traumatic brain injury, neurodegenerative diseases, lack of oxygen supply to the brain, infectious disease like AIDS, a brain tumor or cyst, scarring of the brain, inflammatory brain disorders, tumors can trigger epilepsy.”

Risk factors:

According to Dr Anil Venkitachalam, age, one’s family history, dementia, head injuries, alcohol, drug usage, low birth weight, trauma and meningitis cause inflammation of the brain, making you prone to epilepsy.

Right time to see a doctor:

Dr Anil Venkitachalam suggested that it is the right time to consult the doctor when one’s seizures last more than 5 minutes if he/she has fever and diabetes, and experiences continuous seizures. Do not delay treatment at all and seek timely medical attention.

Diagnosis:

“Once you consult the doctor, he/she will take your medical history, and do an electroencephalogram (EEG), computed tomography (CT or CAT scan), or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to confirm the diagnosis of this condition,” highlighted Dr Anil Venkitachalam.

Treatment:

Dr Anil Venkitachalam explained, “Once the diagnosis of epilepsy is confirmed then one will have to follow the guidelines given by the doctor. Epilepsy can be tackled with the help of antiepileptic medications (AEDs), diet therapy and ultimately surgery but the doctor will decide on an appropriate treatment for you. However, remember that you should not self-medicate for any of the symptoms. Try to speak to the doctor and get all your doubts cleared on a priority basis. Do not neglect any health condition.”