What is epilepsy?

Epilepsy, which occurs in the form of seizures, is evaluated in the category of chronic neurological diseases.

The brain, which works normally outside of an epileptic seizure, experiences a neurological discharge due to a sudden functional deterioration of unknown cause. The epileptic seizure, which is experienced in the form of fainting and convulsions accompanied by a short-term loss of consciousness, completes its course, after a while, and the patient recovers and returns to her/his physical state.

Epilepsy in Children

Epilepsy in children is sudden and temporary neurological anomalies caused by diseases in the womb and infancy.

Epilepsy Symptoms

Epilepsy occurs in the form of different seizures, depending on which part of the brain and in how large an area there is neurological discharge.

Simple partial/simple epilepsy symptoms that are more like anxiety attacks include:  

• Deep feeling of fear, intense anxiety
• Panic in movement and behavior
• Difficulty controlling hand/arm movements
• nausea, vomiting
• Flashes of light, visual disturbances
• feeling unwell and panic

In a complex partial epileptic seizure that causes a certain degree of loss of consciousness, the child is not unconscious, and it may not be noticed from the outside that she/he has lost consciousness and / or an epileptic seizure:

• Eyes focus on one point, gaze becomes dull
• Frequent swallowing and chewing reflexes
• She/he may try to take off her clothes
• As consciousness begins to shift, it cannot give correct information about himself/herself.
• When she/he regains consciousness, she does not remember what happened during the seizure.

Generalized epileptic seizures in which neurologic discharge causes unconsciousness are divided into two categories: minor epileptic seizure/petit mal and major epileptic seizure/grand mal.

Symptoms of grand mal epilepsy:

• The most severe and familiar epileptic seizure
• The child is unconscious
• Severe contractions and ejaculation are observed in the muscles
• Jaw locking, clenching, severe contractions in the jaw and neck are observed.
• Foaming at the mounth
• Child flutters and makes wheezing sounds

Petit mal epilepsy symptoms:

• Fainting or a state of deep thoughtfulness
• Child loses environmental interest
• No physical deformation occurs
• Their movements are controlled
• Gives/cannot give accurate information about himself/herself

What Causes Epilepsy in Children?

Epilepsy in children develops in the womb or later in infancy. Childhood epilepsy occurs due to neurological development disorders that occur during pregnancy, diseases that cause brain damage, and that causes lack of oxygen in the baby.

High fever, meningitis and similar infectious diseases are other causes that subsequently lead to epilepsy, as they cause damage to the neurological system of the brain.

Epilepsy Treatment in Children

The pediatric neurologic approach to the treatment of epilepsy primarily favors drug therapy. In cases where medications do not work, surgical treatment may be considered.

Depending on the type of epilepsy and whether the neurological discharge occurs in a fixed region of the brain or in different parts of the brain, it is decided whether the surgical approach is appropriate or not. 

The surgical method is applied in cases where the neurological discharge is in a fixed region, and this part of the brain is removed.