Epilepsy doesn’t discriminate, and it can affect both men and women of all races, ages, and different backgrounds. Epilepsy is a neurological disorder affecting brain activities, causing seizures, unusual sensations, and loss of awareness. Epilepsy in San Jose is treated by experts in neurology who offer comprehensive care to reduce the severity of seizures. Here is everything you should know about epilepsy.
What is epilepsy?
Epilepsy is a neurological disorder in the brain that affects a large number of people worldwide. It causes seizures which are involuntary movements involving the entire body or a part of the body and can be accompanied by control of bladder or bowel function and unconsciousness.
Seizure symptoms vary individually. Some people stare for a few seconds while others repeatedly twitch their legs or arms. People with epilepsy usually have more physical injuries related to seizures. Also, the risk of death for epileptic people is higher, but the causes of these deaths, such as burns, drowning, and falls, are preventable.
Epilepsy diagnosis
Epilepsy is not diagnosed in one appointment; you have to be patient. Different disorders can cause behavioral changes and can be mistaken for epilepsy. To get the correct diagnosis of epilepsy, your doctor will order a complete blood count and rule out all conditions that can cause seizures.
Electroencephalogram (EEG) is commonly used in diagnosing epilepsy. Your doctor places electrodes on your scalp, and you will be asked to perform a task so that a record of electrical activities going on in your brain can be taken. Sometimes tests can be done during sleep. Changes in normal brain waves indicate a sign of epilepsy. Other imaging tests like MRI, CT scans, and positron emission tomography reveal tumors causing seizures.
Treatment
The first treatment approach is an anti-seizure medication. They help in reducing the severity and frequency of seizures. They are not a cure for epilepsy and cannot stop a seizure in progress. The stomach absorbs the medication, and it travels through the blood to the brain. It hijacks the neurotransmitters reducing the electrical activity that causes seizures.
Surgery can also be an option if medications don’t work. Resection is the most common type of surgery used to remove a part of the brain causing seizures. During the surgery, you will be kept awake so that the doctors can talk to you to avoid removing a part of the brain that controls your speech, vision, hearing, and movements.
Another surgery called multiple subpial transections is done if the brain area is too big to remove. The neurosurgeon makes an incision in the brain to disturb the nerve pathway to stop the seizures from spreading. After surgery, you can stop taking the antiseizure medications completely.
Having epilepsy can be very stressful because you are always afraid that you can get injured when you have a seizure episode. But with proper medication or surgery, you can live a happy life. South Valley Neurology offers treatment plans for epilepsy to help you get your normal life back. Call them today and book an appointment online.
