What causes epilepsy? Risks and treatment
Epilepsy is a non -communicable disease of the brain that impacts lakhs of people around the world. Did you know? One with epilepsy has constant seizures and may find it difficult to do his/ her daily chores. In the below article, we help you to know about the factors leading to this neurological condition. Moreover, we also tell you about how this condition is managed promptly by the experts. Epilepsy means a debilitating neurological condition linked to one’s central nervous system. 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. 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. So, fits are seen due to episodes of changed electrical activity in the brain and can vary based on the part of the brain involved.
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.
What are the risk factors of epilepsy?
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. 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.
The 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.