Neuromuscular Center
What is Epilepsy?
Epilepsy is a disease that progresses in the form of seizures containing sudden and involuntary jerking and shaking movement, or closure of consciousness, and sensory changes caused by abnormal activities of brain neurons. Epilepsy is a very common neurological disease. In order for the diagnosis of epilepsy, epileptic seizures must be repeated more than once.
What Causes Epilepsy?
Although the causes of epilepsy differ for each person, sometimes the exact cause is not known. In general, epilepsy is seen for reasons such as:
- Hereditary factors
- Brain tumors
- Head trauma due to accident and injury
- Inflammations such as meningitis
- Damages affecting brain tissue
What Are the Symptoms of Epilepsy?
Symptoms in epilepsy are divided into simple and complex seizures. Simple seizures can be a precursor to the primary seizure. The patient is usually conscious in simple seizures, which are milder than complex seizures. In complex seizures, the patient is unconscious.
Simple Seizure Symptoms
- Nausea
- Feeling of fainting
- Visual, hearing, or speech disorders
- Excessive sweating
- Numbness in the body
- Sudden state of fear
Complex Seizure Symptoms;
- Loss of consciousness
- Body twitches and tremors
- Clenching of teeth
- Urinary Incontinence
- Inability to speak
- Involuntary movements in the arms and legs
- Foam from the mouth
- Rapid and sudden eye movements
- Continuous head nodding
How Is Epilepsy Diagnosed?
In the diagnosis of epilepsy, primarily imaging methods such as EEG, MR, or computed tomography are preferred. EEG detects the points of uncontrolled bioelectrical activity of the brain. Thanks to MRI and tomography, it is determined whether the patient has a hereditary problem. Blood and urine tests are also performed if the specialist doctor deems it necessary. In order to diagnose epilepsy, the patient’s history and the frequency of seizures are also taken into account.
How Is Epilepsy Treated?
In the treatment of epilepsy, two different treatment procedures are applied as medicated and surgical methods. In medicated treatment, it is primarily aimed to eliminate the seizures, not the source of the disease. 65% of epilepsy patients continue their daily lives with the drugs given by the specialist doctor. In patients for whom drug treatment is insufficient, surgical methods are used. After epilepsy surgery, seizures can partially or entirely disappear.