Epilepsy is a neurological condition in which brain activity becomes aberrant, resulting in seizures or episodes of odd behavior, feelings, and occasionally loss of awareness.
Are you suffering from epilepsy?
Don’t worry! You can get effective treatment for epilepsy at Dr. Rao’s Hospital, Guntur. We are one of the best neurology hospitals in Guntur. We have experienced neurosurgeons such as Dr. Mohana Rao Patibandla, who is a fellowship-trained epilepsy surgeon from the USA. Our hospital in Guntur provides solutions for all neurological disorders including epilepsy.
This article discusses the treatment options for epilepsy. But before we discuss the treatment options, first let us discuss the causes of epilepsy.
What are the Causes of Epilepsy?
The following factors contribute to the development of epilepsy.
• Genetics: Genetic factors are one of the causes of epilepsy. Epilepsy is more common in those who have certain genes.
• Head trauma: A head injury may result in epilepsy.
• Brain problems: Brain tumors and strokes can induce epilepsy.
• Infectious illnesses: Infectious disorders such as meningitis, AIDS, and viral encephalitis can induce epilepsy.
• Prenatal injury: Epilepsy can develop as a result of brain damage that happens prior to birth.
Several risk factors contribute to epilepsy. The specifics are as follows:
• Age: Children and the elderly are more likely to develop epilepsy.
• Family History: If epilepsy runs in your family, you’re likely to get it as well.
• Head injuries: Epilepsy is more likely to occur in those who have had a head injury.
• Infectious diseases: Infectious diseases like meningitis and AIDS can increase your risk of developing epilepsy.
What are the symptoms of epilepsy?
The most common sign of epilepsy is seizures. Symptoms vary from one individual to the next and depending on the type of seizure.
Focal or partial seizures
There is no loss of consciousness in a simple partial seizure. Among the signs and symptoms are:
• Changes in the senses of taste, smell, sight, hearing, and touch
• Dizziness
• Limb tingling and twitching
There is a loss of awareness or consciousness with complex partial seizures. Other signs and symptoms include:
• Blank stare
• Unresponsiveness
• Repeating the same moves
Generalized seizures
Seizures that affect the entire brain are known as generalized seizures. There are six different types:
Absence seizures, often known as “petit mal seizures,” result in a blank stare. Repetitive motions such as lip-smacking or blinking may occur as a result of this type of seizure. There is frequently a brief loss of awareness as well.
Muscle stiffness is a side effect of tonic seizures.
Atonic seizures result in a loss of muscle control, which might cause you to fall unexpectedly.
Clonic seizures are characterized by jerky muscular movements in the face, neck, and arms that occur repeatedly.
Myoclonic seizures are characterized by a rapid twitching of the arms and legs.
Grand mal seizures were once known as tonic-clonic seizures. Among the signs and symptoms are:
• Body becomes stiff
• Shaking
• Inability to control bladder or bowel movements There can also be loss of consciousness.
What is intractable epilepsy?
Intractable epilepsy is defined as when seizures can’t be controlled by 2 epileptic medicines at their maximum tolerable doses for a period of 2 years. (Intractable means “not easily managed or relieved.”) It’s also called refractory, uncontrolled, or drug-resistant epileptic seizures. Nearly, 36% of the epilepsy patients are refractory to medication and we need find out surgical candidates in this population.
What will you do when you see your close relative with seizures?
Now, let us discuss the treatment options available in Guntur to treat epilepsy.
What are the solutions provided by Dr. Rao’s Hospital in Guntur to treat epilepsy?
We use the following treatment options to manage and treat epilepsy-
Anti-epileptic medications (AEDs)
The most common treatment for epilepsy is antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). In about 7 out of 10 people, they aid in seizure management.
AEDs function by altering the chemical levels in your brain. They cannot cure epilepsy, but they can prevent seizures. AEDs come in a variety of forms, including pills, capsules, liquids, and syrups. In most cases, you must take the medication on a daily basis.
Your doctor in Guntur will begin with a low dose and then raise it until you no longer have seizures. If the first medicine you try does not work, your doctor may suggest that you try a different type.
It’s critical that you follow any recommendations for when and how much to take AEDs. If you suddenly stop taking an AED, you risk having a seizure. Drowsiness, headaches, rashes, tremors, etc. are some of the side effects of AEDs.
Surgery on the brain
There’s a good probability that your seizures will stop completely following surgery in certain instances such as follows- 70% in temporal lobe seizures and 50% in nontemporal lobe seizures.
• Your seizures are not being controlled by AEDs.
• Tests reveal that your seizures are caused by a disorder in a small portion of your brain that can be removed without major consequences.
Brain scans -MRI seizure protocol, electroencephalograms (EEG), and other testing are conducted prior to surgery. The findings of these tests will aid you and your doctor in determining whether surgery is a viable choice for you.
Resection surgeries: Identified epilepsy focus was removed during this procedure with the help of brain electric activity.
Epilepsy surgery is normally performed while you are unconscious, using a general anesthetic.
A small cut in your head and a hole in your skull are made by the neurosurgeon at Dr. Rao’s Hospital in Guntur so that the afflicted region of the brain can be removed.
At the conclusion of the procedure, the openings in your skull and scalp are closed. Make sure you discuss the risks with your neurosurgeon before undergoing surgery.
Stimulaton procedures: When we are not able to resect the lesion secondary to eloquence or not able to recognize the precise area then we do the brain or vagus nerve stimulation.
• Vagus nerve stimulation:
In vagus nerve stimulation, doctors implant a device called a vagus nerve stimulator beneath the skin of your chest, similar to a heart pacemaker. The cables from the stimulator are connected to the vagus nerve in your neck.
The battery-operated device uses the vagus nerve to send electrical energy bursts to your brain. The device’s mechanism for preventing seizures is unknown, although it can usually reduce seizures by 20 to 40%. Side effects of vagus nerve stimulation include throat pain, hoarseness, shortness of breath, and coughing.
Responsive Neurostimulation: We know that electrical activity is coming from the two important areas then we place two electrodes which are connected to battery which was placed in the skull.
DBS – Deep Brain stimulation: Anterior thalamic nucleus was targeted in this method and will get around 50% decrease in the devastating seizure frequency.
Ketogenic diet
A ketogenic diet is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate, and low-protein diet. The diet is supposed to reduce the likelihood of seizures in children by altering the quantities of substances in the brain.
Final Thoughts
As every problem comes with a solution, the problem of epilepsy also comes with a solution. You can get effective solutions for epilepsy by visiting Dr. Rao’s Hospital in Guntur. We have solutions for all your neurological problems. So, visit us now!