Things To Know About Epilepsy
In the list of diseases that frequently affect a large number of people from all over the world, an important one is Epilepsy. Though it is true that people suffering from epilepsy can lead a normal life, but it is also a fact that the disease can be fatal as the seizures associated with the disease can occur at any time unexpectedly. It is actually a disorder of the nervous system due to which a person become unconscious all of a suds den and experience violent movements in the body. These attacks affecting the brain of a person are known as ‘seizure’.
Seizures occur due to huge electrical activity in our cranium that is the bone structure of the head that protects the brain. A epileptic can suffer from seizures unexpectedly at any time of the day and at any place. The resistance of an individual to fight against these seizures varies from one person to the other. This is known as seizure threshold. Therefore, when the seizure threshold is less, the impact as well as frequency of the seizures also increases.
Types of Epilepsy
Broadly, epilepsy can be divided into three kinds:
1. Symptomatic Epilepsy: In this kind of epilepsy, the causes behind the illness are known. For instance, the disorder may be caused due to head injuries, brain stroke, meningitis or any other infection of the brain. Due to knowledge about the causes, the right medications for treatment of the disease can be taken.
2. Idiopathic Epilepsy: In this type of epilepsy, no coherent causes of seizures are known and thus don’t respond properly to treatment due to drugs.
3. Cryptogenic Epilepsy: This kind of epilepsy is most challenging and no known reasons behind it exist. Medicines are also not effective in treating this disorder.
Prevention and Healing
Diet is given a lot of importance when it comes to treating epilepsy. The main reason behind this is that the patients suffering from epilepsy often have less amount of Omega-3 fatty acids in their blood. Therefore, a diet rich in this nutrient such as canned tuna or fatty fish is recommended. The treatment and prevention of Epilepsy also varies in case of men, women as well as children. Therefore, epileptic children are advised to take a diet rich in proteins and fats but having low carbohydrates.
Besides these diet modifications, epileptic patients are also prescribed anti-convulsion and anti-epileptic drugs. The main purpose of these drugs is to prevent and control seizures. They also improve the seizure threshold of the patient. For some people, acupuncture, biofeedback and stress busters are also helpful.
