Alcoholic epilepsy is not one type of disease, it is a whole group of pathological abnormalities that occur in the body of a person who has been drinking alcohol for a long time. Sometimes such an attack can occur even in people who do not suffer from alcoholism, but who have consumed a large amount of alcohol at a time.
The main symptom of the disease is convulsions and loss of consciousness. This type of epilepsy is considered very serious and is a consequence of severe alcohol poisoning.
General characteristics of the disease
The constant effect of alcohol on the human psyche cannot pass without a trace, so most often it all ends with serious consequences for the person himself. An alcoholic may suffer from memory loss, his intellect is weakened, and in some cases dementia begins to develop. The worst manifestation of alcohol dependence is paralysis, which begins to haunt an alcoholic, schizophrenia, psychosis in relation to others more and more often and, of course, alcohol epilepsy begins to manifest over time. This manifestation of the disease has recently been encountered quite often, but it is not always possible to save a person by providing timely assistance to him.
Classification of Epilepsy
It is worth noting that the attack of ordinary epilepsy and alcohol is very similar in its characteristics, but the reasons that led to this condition are completely different, which means that the treatment will also be different. Basically, you should focus on seizures that can develop after a person has consumed alcohol or after a person has survived a hangover syndrome. After alcoholic epilepsy can occur even five days after drinking alcohol. Consider the main stages of such epilepsy:
- Initially, an epileptic reaction begins to appear, it appears even in people who are not dependent on alcohol, but simply used it in a moderate dose. An attack can occur on the second day, but after alcohol poisons are removed, human health will improve.
- Epileptic syndrome is already a more serious manifestation of pathology. Before such a syndrome, a person may experience hallucinations, sweating, and headache increase.
- The last stage is alcohol epilepsy itself. It begins in people with a long history of drinking alcohol, accompanied by additional psychoses.
Each stage of the pathology is dangerous for humans, not always everything goes unnoticed, so before drinking alcohol, you need to seriously think about how this can end.
Causes of the disease
Doctors say that in the first place, a person may have a congenital predisposition to epilepsy, which is enhanced by the use of alcohol in the future. Also, it cannot be ruled out that it is ethyl alcohol, which, by reaction, resembles mushroom poison, has a detrimental effect on the body. Consider in detail the additional causes of alcoholic epilepsy:
- People who once suffered from meningitis or encephalitis are more likely to experience such epilepsy.
- People with traumatic brain injuries are exposed.
- People with poor intracranial circulation.
- If there are neoplasms in the brain.
- Inherited location.
The conditions described above, due to alcohol only worsen, because of this, epilepsy occurs. The neurons in the brain from alcohol begin to break down, especially if a person consumes low-quality alcohol.
Symptoms
It is quite difficult to distinguish when a person has ordinary or alcoholic epilepsy, the symptoms are very similar to each other. But still there are some features that are worth paying attention to:
- A person may lose consciousness.
- Muscle cramps appear.
- The skin color changes, it becomes icteric, and then turns blue around the mouth.
- Eyes roll up.
- Foam may form around the mouth.
- Vomiting appears.
- Lost coordination of movements.
When an attack of alcoholic epilepsy begins, the body of a sick person begins to bend, the tongue bites, hoarseness appears when breathing. As soon as the seizure passes, consciousness returns, but occasionally hallucinations and troubled behavior can be noticed. Rarely, but there is another type of epilepsy, it is called "alcoholic abscess."
In this case, the attack is somewhat easier, the person does not lose consciousness, but the ability to hold objects in his hands is lost for a while.
Forms of epilepsy
There are several forms of alcoholic epilepsy:
- A mild form of epilepsy from alcohol can occur almost without symptoms, convulsions are not fixed, but the person’s mental state remains tense. Attacks are accompanied by mood swings, and such a clinical picture remains for a long time.
- The classic form is accompanied by pallor of the skin on the face and hands. A sick person may fall and throw his head back.
- The severe form is distinguished by its symptoms. Alcoholic epilepsy in this case is accompanied by tonic convulsions. A man tries to stretch his body into a string and groans, and also grinds his teeth. In a person during an attack, not only breathing is disturbed, but there is also involuntary urination.
It is important to remember that after alcoholic epilepsy, the patient may suffer from insomnia. With ordinary epilepsy, the patient may not remember anything at all that happened to him. If the seizures of alcoholic epilepsy increase, this means that the pathology is gaining momentum, and the help of qualified doctors cannot be dispensed with.
Diagnostics
As a rule, alcoholic epilepsy is detected after the first attack or a significant deterioration in a person's condition after he drinks alcohol. When a person turns to a specialist for help on the background of the received medical history, he can prescribe all the necessary tests.
- An MRI scan is done.
- Electroencephalography is prescribed.
- CT scan.
The doctor must check the tendon and oculomotor reflexes. Encephalography allows you to see exactly what changes are occurring in the human body. It is important to remember that as soon as a person completely abandons alcohol, epilepsy disappears. The specialist must pay attention to the age of his patient, as well as to the experience of his drinking, because in this case, attacks can occur. Sometimes even when there is alcoholic epilepsy, symptoms before an attack can occur long before the attack.
Treatment
It is impossible to point out the exact therapeutic methods, since they simply do not exist. Most often, experts use anticonvulsants that help calm normal epilepsy. As a rule, if the patient refuses alcohol and begins to lead a healthy lifestyle, the seizures cease to bother him forever. It is important to remember that a person who suffered from seizures should try not to drive and not work in hazardous industries for a year. It is important to remember that if there is alcoholic epilepsy, treatment should be carried out by a doctor, and even after recovery for some time, you must definitely be observed by a specialist. If the case of epilepsy proceeds in a complex form, then the following methods are used:
- First of all, poisons are removed from the human body.
- Necessarily restored acid-base and hormonal balance.
- Anticonvulsants are used.
- Psychotropic substances are prescribed.
It is worth paying attention that during the attack itself it is not necessary to keep the patient's movements, it is advisable to just do everything possible so that he does not injure himself.
How to deal with cramps
Manifestations of seizures must be treated, for this the patient will have to go through three stages:
- The specialist must choose a drug that will effectively remove cramps.
- Each medicine has its own dosage, so the doctor must establish it for each person independently, while the main goal is to increase the period of remissions.
- The last stage is the complete recovery of the patient and the abolition of the drug in general.
Only the attending physician has the right to prescribe drugs, each person has his own scheme. You can’t allow addiction to the medicine, so the narcologist must control this moment. If therapy is not effective, then one drug is removed and another is prescribed instead.
Drug treatment
When a person has alcoholic epilepsy, the causes of drug treatment play an important role. All drugs are aimed at eliminating negative symptoms, and only then heal the disease completely. The following drugs are mainly used in medicine:
- As an anticonvulsant drug, carbamazepine is used.
- Complex attacks are eliminated with the help of drugs such as Diphenin and Benzonal.
- Antipsychotics are sometimes prescribed.
- If the patient has mental disorders, then antidepressants are prescribed.
It is important that the patient himself wants to be cured, in this case, encoding and hypnosis can be additionally applied. A person can go in for sports, but physical activity should not be large so as not to cause new attacks.
Alternative methods of treatment
Alternative methods can be excellent helpers in the treatment of medications. The following medicines are recommended for a sick person:
- A decoction of wormwood.
- You can drink teas from different herbs.
- Make coffee from acorns.
- It is recommended to make baths with mustard and lemon juice, after which the soles of the feet and fingers are well massaged.
Folk methods can not be cured, so it is worth using them in parallel with medicines.
Complications
Alcohol affects primarily brain cells, which leads to their death and alcoholic epilepsy begins. The consequences can be the most sad, therefore it is impossible not to cure the disease. A large number of alcoholics suffer from the fact that they lose the ability to think normally, because of this mental disorders occur. It also happens that seizures last a series of times, this is called an “epileptic status”, in such a state a person may stop the heart or have cerebral edema, which leads to a coma or subsequent death.
First aid
It is impossible to prepare in advance for attacks, because they occur suddenly, so people who have an alcoholic in their family should always be ready to give him first aid.
Consider detailed instructions on how to proceed:
- It is important to do everything possible so that the person does not fall, so you should grab it and put it on a flat surface.
- The main task of the person who is nearby is not to allow the patient in convulsions to injure himself.
- There should not be any sharp objects near, since a person does not feel pain during epilepsy and may be injured.
- If the mouth is open, then you should place the object and prevent biting the tongue, and turn the head to one side so that the patient is not choked with vomit.
- It is advisable to clamp the patient’s head between his knees and stay in this position for about five minutes, this is how long the attack can last.
- After the attack, the patient should lie down a bit, as he will experience muscle weakness.
- Be sure to call an ambulance, probably the patient will need hospitalization.
Further, only a doctor will be able to suggest or deny that the patient has alcoholic epilepsy. The causes of this condition in adults can also be hidden in other diseases, but accurate diagnosis will already show this.
Prevention
The best prophylaxis for a person who has ever had alcoholic epilepsy is to give up alcohol. As a prophylaxis, it is recommended to use special restorative therapy. It includes communication with psychologists who can convince the dependent person that alcohol is not his assistant, also a doctor’s examination, at least once a year, and, of course, a healthy lifestyle, sports. It is possible to get rid of alcoholic epilepsy, but for this you should get rid of alcohol dependence in the first place.