Epilepsy has long been known, in Russia such patients were understood and regretted. And in our time they are treated along with suffering from mental illness. In fact, epilepsy cannot be considered a true mental illness, because the patient does not lose contact with reality, but simply at certain times seizures occur during which the person cannot control himself. However, for those around these conditions are not dangerous. Although it turned out to be nearby it may well frighten or upset. So what is epilepsy?
Her symptoms are manifested in a variety of ways - seizures. But they can be very different for different people. A common cause for all is a change in the electrical activity of brain cells. Uncontrolled transmission of the electrical impulse from the cortex begins, which causes epilepsy.
Symptoms of seizures always have a beginning, middle, and ending. The patient remembers the onset of the attack distinctly, the rest can be forgotten.
What are the first signs of epilepsy?
Before an attack, a special condition called an aura usually occurs. According to him, the patient determines that there will soon be a seizure. Sometimes it is absent, sometimes after it an attack does not occur, therefore the aura is an unreliable symptom. However, there are no other, better ways, such is epilepsy. Symptoms, that is, an aura, include the following symptoms.
Firstly, a symptom of deja vu. This means that something objectively new seems vaguely familiar. Patients with epilepsy are aware of this characteristic of perception, which portends a seizure.
Secondly, a symptom of jamais vu. In this case, on the contrary, the familiar seems unfamiliar, as if visible for the first time.
Thirdly, changes in perception: strange smells, tastes and sensations. The picture obtained from the eyes becomes blurry, sometimes it disappears altogether.
Fourth, a strong emotional reaction - from panic to happiness, which is accompanied by an acceleration of the thought process.
Fifth, a feeling of numbness, headache, nausea, and dizziness is possible.
What are the signs that a person has epilepsy?
Symptoms are very similar, although each has persistent characteristics of the attack, which are repeated several times. Among them there may be temporary deafness, a feeling that a person was affected by a current discharge, loss of consciousness (maybe for a moment or for several minutes), intense feeling of dizziness, sometimes patients even see how they leave the body, although this is a rare symptom. In general, a seizure is accompanied by a feeling of panic.
Physically, the attack is manifested by salivation, convulsive movements of the arms and legs, rolling eyes, urinary incontinence, trembling, teeth grinding, biting the lips and tongue, body trembling and twitching. The pulse accelerates, and breathing becomes difficult.
After a seizure, a person is given a hard letter, and memory is also impaired. Emotionally - there is a feeling of shame and confusion, sadness is possible, reaching the scale of depression. Man is afraid of repetition.
Headache and a state of exhaustion are characteristic, a person wants to drink and sleep. If there was no help during the seizure, injuries are possible - bruises and bitten lips and tongue.
One who can answer the question "How to cure epilepsy?" will probably receive the Nobel Prize. So far, there are no effective remedies, but supportive therapy is very, very effective. In total, there are about a dozen drugs for epileptics on the drug market. Which of them to prefer - the doctor will tell.
Epilepsy is just a different lifestyle than usual. Of course, it complicates the life of the patient, but you need to know that with age, the likelihood of seizures decreases. And you can’t laugh at the sick, because epilepsy can begin at any age in any person.