Epilepsy is a temporary short circuit in the brain due to an excessive amount of electrical activity. And that manifests itself in many forms.
What is epilepsy?
Most people immediately think of the most dramatic form of epilepsy or ‘laps’: a seizure in which the person suddenly falls unconscious, foams at the lips and convulses. Such a tonic-clonic seizure is actually very rare.
There are also many other forms of epilepsy: a visual disturbance, inability to speak properly, involuntary muscle contractions, being stiff, confusion, an absence seizure (when the person is momentarily lost), fidgeting, turning away from the eyes or suddenly falling . An epileptic may also hear sounds or taste flavors that are not there or have a sudden tantrum.
The many manifestations of the disease make a diagnosis not so simple and these attacks are not at all clear to an outsider.
The attacks occur at unpredictable times and last from a few seconds to less than five minutes. Triggers are tension, lack of sleep, fever or flashes of light. Usually, patients remember virtually nothing. Anyone who has ever had one seizure in their life, or only seizures under certain circumstances, is not an epileptic.
What misunderstandings are there about epilepsy?
The most famous myth is that a person can bite off his tongue during an epileptic seizure. That never happens. That you should stick something between your teeth during an attack is therefore not correct. It is also physically impossible to swallow your own tongue. Remain calm, turn the person on their side and remove any hard objects in the immediate area. Only if an attack does not go away on its own should you call the emergency services.
That you should never drive a car again is another myth; someone who has been seizure-free for a certain period of time is legally allowed to drive under certain conditions.
It is not true that people with epilepsy always have a mental retardation. Epilepsy is indeed more common in people with intellectual disabilities, but not the other way around. An epilepsy patient can perfectly lead a good and normal life. Except in certain high-risk professions (bus driver, pilot, police), epilepsy need not be an obstacle to doing a job.
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Who Gets Epilepsy?
Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders worldwide and can affect anyone. Five percent of the population experiences at least one epileptic seizure in their lifetime and one percent develops epilepsy. Worldwide, 50 million people are said to suffer from the condition.
How do you get epilepsy?
In our brains there are more than 80 billion neurons (nerve cells) in clusters that communicate with each other precisely via electrical pulses in order for our body to function properly. But De communication between nerve cells in the brain is not foolproof. At one In an epileptic seizure, large groups of nerve cells fire simultaneous signals when they shouldn’t. It’s like a short circuit in the brain. Depending on the brain region where this short circuit occurs, an epileptic seizure will have different characteristics.
What Causes Epilepsy?
Febrile convulsions in childhood or problems during birth, among others, are risk factors for developing epilepsy.
Other causes are infections of the brain, such as meningitis.
A serious accident or fall on the head, brain tumor or stroke can also lead to the development of epilepsy.
Sometimes a genetic predisposition can make the brain more susceptible to epilepsy.
For 40 percent of people who develop epilepsy after childhood, the cause is still unknown.
There is a link with depression. People with depression are more likely to have epilepsy.
Can epilepsy be cured?
Sometimes children outgrow the epilepsy, but the disease is usually for life. The frequency of the seizures can be reduced with antiepileptic drugs to make the brain less sensitive to stimuli.
A ketogenic diet can also reduce attacks. This is a low-carbohydrate diet in which so-called ketones are created by burning fats, which can suppress the discharge of brain cells and thus prevent attacks. It is especially effective in children, but it is quite a heavy task.
For about 35 percent of patients, medications do not help. They can be helped with epilepsy surgery or neurostimulation. People with epilepsy that is difficult to treat often encounter misunderstanding and sometimes find it difficult to find work.
Can the disease be prevented?
In most cases, developing epilepsy is unavoidable. Still, there are things you can control. Wear a helmet while skiing or biking to reduce the risk of head trauma. Live healthy so that you are less likely to have a stroke.
Antipyretics (e.g. paracetamol) in children with a fever reduce the risk of convulsions and thus the chance of developing epilepsy later on.