International Epilepsy Day
It’s not always possible to recognize a seizure. Not all the
seizures include the unusual movements of the muscle or convulsion. So to educate people on a large scale, second
Monday of February is celebrated as International
Epilepsy Day in the world every year. The day not only educates and makes
people aware about this neurological disorder but also tell them that there’s
an urgent need for the treatment and care. The day put light on the problems
faced by people living with epilepsy and the problems faced by their family
members.
All you need to know
about Epilepsy:
Epilepsy is also known as ‘seizure disorder’. It is a chronic
non-communicable disease of the brain which is identified by recurrent
unprovoked seizure. This disease doesn’t discriminate based on age; it can
affect anyone belonging to any age.
There are various scenarios in which the patient suffers from
epilepsy along with other psychiatric illness such as ADHD, Autism, learning
disabilities, etc. There is no such prior warning for the occurrence of
Epileptic seizure, though some people have the semblance about the seizure
before its occurrence.
Approximately 50 million people are suffering from epilepsy
all around the world, making it one of the most common neurological disorders
globally. In about 50% of the cases the actual reason is still not known.
Epilepsy in India:
Nearly 50 million people are suffering from Epilepsy all
across the globe, making it the most common neurological disorder in the world.
It has been observed that more than 85% of people who suffers from epilepsy
belong to low-income countries which include India also.
In Indian subcontinent, ‘Neurocysticercosis (parasitic
disease of the nervous system)’ is subject to 30% of seizure disorders. In
India, 12 million people suffer from epilepsy making it to one sixth of the
global burden. The number of people who are prone to suffer from epilepsy in
India is around 14 people per 1,000 populations. The higher estimates include children, young
adults and people from rural areas.
Around 95% of the population in India doesn’t receive any
treatment for epilepsy. 60% of people residing in urban areas consult their doctors
after a seizure attack, and only 10% people from rural areas consult doctors.
The treatment for this disorder is long term as it takes nearly about 2 years
of time. As we all know that once we feel free from the disease, we don’t
bother to complete the medication course and thus stops the medicines and wait
for the next episode to happen. Ideally this should not happen, and we should
religiously follow the treatment plan recommended by doctor.
Sign and Symptoms of
Epilepsy:
- Mumbling, dazed behavior, short blackouts
- Unusual body movements like nodding of head or rapid
blinking, repeatedly
- Sudden and repeated fear or anger
- Frequent complaints about the things looking, sounding,
smelling, tasting or feeling “Funny”
- Stomach pain followed by confusion and sleepiness
- Unusual sleepiness and
irritability when woken up
- If
you are encountering any of these symptoms, kindly consult the specialist,
before it’s too late.
Preventive measures:
- In
most cases epilepsy develops due to head injury, so it is very important to
wear helmet while driving two wheeler vehicles for the prevention of any head injury.
- Immediate
treatment should be taken when the symptoms begin
- Control
over hypertension, diabetes, cholesterol level will help in preventing the
disease.
- Intake
of balanced diet, limiting the intake of alcohol and illicit drugs while
quitting smoking also helps in the prevention of epilepsy.
- It
has been observed that nearly 70% of people response to the treatment of
epilepsy.
“We have observed that one third
of the patients having symptoms of epilepsy never visit the Neurologist for
opinion. They might be ignoring this or scared. But I wish to assert that we
shouldn’t ignore the symptoms or feel scared. On-time medical attention is
important for better treatment outcomes. Epilepsy is not a taboo. We have seen
that the patients who have sought timely treatment and are doing are now doing
very well”, says, Dr. Sonia Lal Gupta, Consultant - Neurology
For
appointments and information, kindly call +919350935038 or email
metro@metrohospitals.com
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