Epilepsy in Children

Epilepsy is a chronic disorder occurring most frequently in adolescents and the elderly. It can also occur in patients that have recently had or recovered from brain surgery. Epilepsy is neurological in nature and causes periodic seizures, which reflect brain over activity. Unfortunately due to the wide range of triggers, most people affected by this acute condition discover only after a seizure, the neurological hyperactivity.

The clinical data, along with the relevant investigation reports were sent to London to the reputed neurologist, Lord Walton, and he, after going through the case, labelled it as a case of 'benign focal epilepsy of childhood'. Later the case was taken up for personal discussion with Lord Walton during our meeting at General Medical Council, London. The overall opinion was that such cases have a very good prognosis, and if the full course of treatment is carried out uninterruptedly, it is very likely that the child may be free from attacks of epilepsy forever.

Sleepwalking is a condition in which the body can move even though the brain is half asleep. Sleepwalkers commonly get out of bed and roam all over the house. Some of them even get dressed and leave the house. Sleepwalkers' eyes remain open, and they can see what is in front of them. However, their expressions are blank and they are unable to respond either to conversation or to their names being called out.

Consumption of alcohol should be avoided. Epilepsy is said to be three times more common among alcoholics than in non-alcoholics. Both excessive drinking or even moderate drinking of alcohol may precipitate an attack of. epilepsy.There is a word of advice for alcoholics. For those who are addicted to alcohol for a long time, in such cases, alcohol must be withdrawn very gradually, otherwise it is very likely that an attack of epilepsy may be precipitated.

As soon as the attacks are controlled with the therapy initiated, the patient should feel perfectly safe, although he needs to take the necessary precautions, depending on the profession of the person. A factory worker has to guard himself against injuries while working on various machil1es. Similarly, a labourer, or any other worker, has to be vigilant. Such professions may have to be avoided by the patient, to be on the safe side. However, it depends from case to case, and, above all, on the advice of the physician.

For women, epilepsy has very particular implications in terms of sexual development, the menstrual cycle, contraception, fertility, pregnancy and the menopause. Until recently, the treatment of women with epilepsy tended to be the same as the treatment of men with epilepsy, despite the fact that 50 per cent of people with epilepsy are female. In practice, this meant that women were treated as if they were men, and their specific medical needs tended to be ignored or overlooked. However, there is now increasing recognition of the fact that having epilepsy is not the same for a woman as for a man, and treatment reflects this more, one of the most important areas being pre-conception counselling.

Symptomatic Epilepsy- the case of epilepsy in which the reasons behind the disease can be well known. The causes can be various such as head injuries, meningitis, brain stroke and any other brain infection etc. The knowledge of the causes leads to an adequate and appropriate drug medication which varies from person to person.