Subscribe
Epilepsy
What are the clinical manifestations of epilepsy?
Epilepsy is caused by abnormal discharges of brain cells, and the symptoms and clinical manifestations vary depending on the area of discharge. Main symptoms can include sudden loss of consciousness, rigidity followed by clonic convulsions, and may also involve cyanosis or purpling of the face, tongue biting, frothing at the mouth, urinary incontinence, dilated pupils, continuing for several seconds to minutes before stopping. This condition is called a generalized tonic-clonic seizure. Some patients may also experience sudden brief loss of consciousness and interruption of ongoing actions, with a blank stare and unresponsive to calls. They may perform simple automatic actions like swallowing or chewing. Generally, there is no falling, and the patient has no memory of the episode afterwards. This type of seizure is known as an absence seizure. Additionally, some may experience rigidity and clonic convulsions in one limb or a localized area, etc.
What are the symptoms of epilepsy in children?
Seizures in children manifest in various forms, but they all share characteristics of sudden onset, sudden cessation, and periodic occurrence. Common types include grand mal seizures, absence seizures, and benign childhood epilepsy. During a grand mal seizure, the child suddenly loses consciousness, stops breathing, turns blue-purple, pupils dilate, limbs stiffen, hands clench into fists, followed by spasmodic convulsions, foaming at the mouth, with the episode generally lasting 1-5 minutes. Absence seizures in children present as sudden loss of consciousness, interruption of activity, staring or rolling of the eyes, but without falling down or convulsing, lasting 1-10 seconds, with consciousness quickly returning after the episode. Benign childhood epilepsy seizures often involve twitching of one side of the face, lips, or tongue, possibly accompanied by abnormal sensations in the area, inability to speak, drooling, generally with clear consciousness, with episodes occurring more frequently at night.
What causes epilepsy in the elderly?
If a patient has no history of epilepsy but begins to experience epileptic seizures in old age, it is generally secondary epilepsy, also known as symptomatic epilepsy. All patients should have a clear cause, but with current diagnostic techniques, it is not always possible to find the cause. If the cause cannot be identified, it is called cryptogenic epilepsy. In such cases, it is generally necessary to improve diagnostic methods, such as cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and cranial magnetic resonance angiography. The most common causes of epilepsy in the elderly are generally cerebrovascular disease, brain trauma, or encephalitis, and in some cases, brain tumors. Any disease that causes brain cell damage can potentially cause symptomatic epileptic seizures. If all imaging examinations fail to reveal any abnormalities, regular follow-ups are necessary to monitor for early-stage tumors that may not be detectable on imaging tests. Meanwhile, antiepileptic treatment should be administered, and routine blood tests, liver, and kidney functions should be regularly monitored.
Is epilepsy easy to treat?
Epilepsy is a disease for which the cause can be identified in some patients, while in others it may remain unknown. Initially, it is important to investigate the cause of epilepsy. Moreover, if an individual experiences multiple seizures, medication intervention becomes necessary. The primary goal of drug treatment for epilepsy is to control it and prevent further seizures, since each seizure can cause brain cell damage, potentially leading to long-term effects like memory decline and slower reaction times. Therefore, active control of epilepsy through medication is crucial. Whether epilepsy can be completely cured depends on its underlying cause. In some cases, identifying and eliminating the cause may prevent further seizures. However, for some patients, even if the cause is identified, such as a past stroke or tumors that induce epilepsy, seizures may continue even after the tumor is removed. Meanwhile, for epilepsy of unknown origins, the approach is to control the condition using medication to minimize the occurrence of seizures as much as possible, though it is not guaranteed that seizures will not happen again in the future.
What are the psychological manifestations of patients with epilepsy?
Patients with epilepsy disorder display various psychological disturbances, which have received extensive attention from neurology experts in recent years. Overall, the psychological manifestations of epilepsy patients primarily include: First, refusal to speak, where epilepsy patients exhibit clear symptoms of being uninterested in anything, valuing themselves very lowly, and lacking self-worth. Second, anxiety, which is also a common emotion among epilepsy patients who constantly worry about having seizures, especially in public places, leaving a significant psychological impact on themselves. Third, epilepsy patients usually possess a fairly obvious sense of inferiority, feeling unable to lift their heads in front of others. Fourth, complex psychological disturbances, where epilepsy patients typically experience coexisting psychological disorders, such as simultaneous anxiety and depression, or compulsions coexisting with depression. Therefore, accurate diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy must pay close attention to the psychological expressions of the patients.
What is childhood epilepsy?
Epilepsy is a persistent brain disease characterized by recurrent epileptic seizures, abnormal perceptions, and associated neurological, cognitive, psychological, and social issues. An epileptic seizure refers to sudden, brief symptoms and signs caused by excessive and abnormal discharges of brain neurons. Depending on the affected brain functional areas, clinical manifestations can vary, including disturbances in consciousness, motor functions, sensory abnormalities, as well as psychiatric and autonomic nervous system dysfunctions. It is important to note that epileptic seizures and epilepsy are two distinct concepts.
What causes epilepsy relapses?
Epilepsy is a clinical syndrome caused by highly synchronized abnormal discharges of brain neurons due to various reasons. Clinically, it is characterized by episodic, transient, repetitive, and stereotyped manifestations, making recurrence a characteristic of the disease itself. The location of the neurons with abnormal discharges and the range of the abnormal discharge waves vary, leading to different forms of seizure symptoms in patients. These can manifest in various ways, including sensory, motor, consciousness, psychiatric, behavioral, and autonomic nervous system dysfunctions, and may occur simultaneously. Each seizure and each type of seizure process is referred to as an epileptic seizure. Of course, a patient can experience one or several types of epileptic seizures, thus, recurrence is a characteristic of epilepsy itself.