What are the prodromal symptoms of epilepsy?
The prodromal symptoms of epilepsy are diverse, generally involving movement, sensation, and mood. Some patients may experience transient numbness or weakness on one side of their body prior to a seizure, while others may have hallucinations and atypical mental or behavioral changes. However, these symptoms are not necessarily indicative of an impending seizure. When such symptoms occur, it is crucial to consider the possibility of an epilepsy attack, and patients should promptly visit the neurology department of a hospital for a thorough examination, including an electroencephalogram (EEG). If the EEG shows significant abnormalities such as spikes, sharp waves, slow waves, spike-and-wave complexes, or sharp-and-slow wave complexes, it suggests the potential for an epileptic seizure. In such cases, preventive medication should be administered promptly, such as carbamazepine or sodium valproate.