Epilepsy
Causes
- Alcohol or drugs.
- Trauma to the head or brain injury.
- Infection.
- Congenital conditions.
- Genetic factors.
- Unknown reasons.
Symptoms
- Staring.
- Jerking movements of the arms and legs.
- Stiffening of the body.
- Loss of consciousness.
- Breathing problems or breathing stops.
- Loss of bowel or bladder control.
- Falling suddenly for no apparent reason, especially when associated with loss of consciousness.
Treatment
- medicines called anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs)
- surgery to remove a small part of the brain that’s causing the seizures.
- a procedure to put a small electrical device inside the body that can help control seizures.
- a special diet (ketogenic diet) that can help control seizures.
Diagnosis
The specialist may suggest having a test to check your brain activity called an electroencephalogram (EEG), or a brain scan to look for any problem in your brain. But if these tests do not show anything, it’s still possible you have epilepsy, and you may be diagnosed just based on your symptoms.
