Epilepsy – affects the nervous system. Occurs in the brain or some parts of it electrical activity. The result is a seizure, characterized by convulsions and loss of consciousness. It is reliably known that a seizure can be provoked neurological disease or certain medications. Therefore, if seizures are observed, these are not always signs of epilepsy in a child. Sometimes they indicate another pathology.
IN nervous system many cells. Electrical impulses transmit information between them. If this charge increases and its speed increases, then flashes appear that disrupt the activity of the entire brain. The wave passes through the cells and is transmitted to the muscles. More and more activated nerve cells, which ultimately causes loss of consciousness, as well as an attack.
The problem is that a seizure can occur completely for no reason. Until now, a number of causes of pathology are unknown to science.
Observing children under 2 years of age, doctors concluded that most often an attack can be caused by an increase in temperature or a lack of some vitamin, for example, magnesium. In addition, it has been noted that babies may have a skull injury received during childbirth. If the child is from 2 to 14 years old, then the cause most often cannot be established.
Signs of epilepsy in children under 2 years of age may include sudden headache, fever, nausea and loss of consciousness. In this case, we can talk about an infection that has affected the body, for example, toxoplasmosis or malaria.
If the baby has been in the sun for a long time, then the attack appears simultaneously with a sharp rise in temperature. Its cause is heatstroke.
In cases where certain medications have been prescribed, signs of epilepsy in children under 2 years of age may occur while taking one of them or, conversely, stopping them.
Since epilepsy has many manifestations, it can be difficult to diagnose. It happens that parents describe seizures. They are exactly the same as the signs of epilepsy in a child. But when the baby is examined, facts are revealed that cast doubt on this pathology.
It is important to know that if epilepsy is detected, in most cases the cause will not be found. In the case when convulsions are detected, its causes will be established over a period of time, and then treatment can be carried out.
Tonic-clonic seizure
Considered the most famous. This epilepsy in children has the following symptoms:
- First the child screams.
- Then it slowly settles. You may get hurt in the process.
- The legs are stretched, the arms, on the contrary, are pulled towards the chest.
- The body is tense for 20 seconds.
- Then the convulsions begin. They last half a minute. They pass gradually.
- Subsequently, the baby may not even remember the attack. But he feels incredibly tired and really wants to sleep.
Other manifestations
Epilepsy and seizures may manifest themselves differently, and most often such attacks are not associated with this pathology. However, how to recognize epilepsy in a child in this case? It is recommended to consult a doctor if you notice the following:
- Involuntary movements appear.
- Consciousness is lost (there may be no convulsions).
- There is no contact with others for some time.
- Cramps in the limbs or body.
- Hallucinations of various types.
- Aggressiveness.
- Sudden mood swings.
- Absent-mindedness.
- Inattention.
Help with cramps
If your child has a seizure, do not be alarmed. It is necessary to provide assistance to the victim. As soon as the convulsions begin, the patient must be placed on the bed. It should be wide enough so that he doesn't fall. If the child is away from home at this time, then the floor will do. There should be no sharp objects or hard furniture nearby. In general, put it away from anything that could hurt a small patient.
To prevent the baby from suffocating, you should try to turn him on his side.
Contrary to the belief that you need to put a spoon in your mouth, doing this is strictly prohibited. The patient should not have any objects in his mouth. It is also prohibited to hold the child's tongue with your fingers. Most often, the spasm lasts a few seconds. After the seizure stops, you need to check whether the victim is breathing. If breathing is not heard, you need to do artificial respiration using the mouth-to-mouth method.
You need to stay close to the child until his consciousness is restored. Until then, any liquid or medicine is prohibited. If found elevated temperature, the patient is given a suppository containing paracetamol rectally.
You should call an ambulance immediately if:
- Convulsions occur for the first time.
- Their duration is 5 minutes or more.
- After they have passed, they repeat after a short period of time.
- When convulsions occur, the child breathes unevenly and very heavily.
Conclusion
It is important to know that signs of childhood epilepsy appear more often than in adults. However, you should not expect instant results. Treatment is long-term and can sometimes last a lifetime. Most often, one medication is enough. In this case, only a doctor should prescribe a medicine or change its dose.
Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disease characteristic feature which is the body's predisposition to sudden appearance convulsive attacks.
It is believed that children suffer from this disease three times more often than adults.
This may be due to the fact that the first symptoms of epilepsy appear precisely in childhood.
Concerned parents are wondering how to recognize the disease and whether it is possible to cure epilepsy in a child.
The clinical picture of epilepsy in children differs significantly from the clinical picture of the disease in adults.
Most parents believe that the main symptom of the disease is seizures, while a number of children do not have seizures at all.
It is especially difficult to diagnose the disease in infancy, because Symptoms of epilepsy are similar to the normal motor activity of a newborn.
It’s worth mentioning right away that under common name“epilepsy” refers to more than 60 diseases with different symptoms. All manifestations of epilepsy can be divided into several groups.
Generalized seizures
This type includes seizures characteristic of epilepsy in its common understanding. Typically, an attack begins with muscle tension and short-term cessation of breathing.
After this, the child experiences convulsions that last for several seconds or minutes. During a generalized attack, spontaneous urination may occur.
Nonconvulsive generalized seizures
Non-convulsive seizures, called absence seizures, occur unnoticed by others.
Adults are able to detect a seizure only when their attention is completely focused on the child.
During an attack, the baby falls out of reality and freezes, and his gaze becomes absent and empty.
This condition may be accompanied by throwing back the head and trembling of the eyelids. The attack continues for 5-20 seconds, after which the child returns to the interrupted activity and begins to react to others.
As a rule, absence seizures appear at 5-7 years of age and continue until puberty. After this, the attacks go away on their own or degenerate into another form of the disease.
Baby spasm
Infantile cramp refers to seizures that occur in the morning and last a few seconds. During seizures, the child may nod his head, bring his arms to his chest, straighten his legs and bend his torso forward. Most often, this form of epilepsy occurs in children aged 2-3 years.
Atonic attacks
Outwardly, an atonic attack looks like a regular faint: the child’s muscles relax and he loses consciousness.
Other symptoms
Frequent nightmares, sleepwalking, short-term disturbances speech, rare headaches accompanied by nausea and vomiting are symptoms that, if present, should consider visiting a pediatrician.
The listed signs are difficult to detect, but it is even more difficult to associate their appearance with epilepsy. However, it is recommended to consult a doctor to confirm or deny the presence of a serious illness.
The following information will be useful to everyone: . Algorithm for providing assistance to a person during an epileptic attack.
Diagnosis of the disease
If a child develops symptoms that are not typical for healthy children, it is recommended to contact a local pediatrician or neurologist.
If necessary, the patient can be referred to a highly specialized specialist - an epileptologist.
When making a diagnosis, it is taken into account clinical picture diseases, as well as the patient's medical history.
The only technique that can confirm or refute the presence of the disease is EEG - electroencephalography.
If the examination confirms the diagnosis, the task of doctors is to determine the location of the outbreak. For this purpose, computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging is used.
In some cases, fainting, disorders of consciousness and sleep, and other conditions that have nothing to do with epilepsy are disguised as this disease. IN in this case the diagnosis is clarified using a method called video EEG monitoring.
Treatment of epilepsy
The main task in the treatment of epilepsy is not to eliminate the attacks, but to get rid of the cause of the disease.
Today, anticonvulsant drugs are used to treat epilepsy.
These drugs differ in their mechanism of action and direction.
This is why using the same medicine to treat different patients is not only useless, but also unsafe.
Usually, the doctor prescribes anticoagulants to people who have had more than two attacks. At the beginning of treatment, doses are small and then gradually increased until the desired therapeutic effect. Total duration therapy varies depending on individual characteristics body: from several months to several years.
Modern medicine has managed to create drugs that can eliminate not only the signs of epilepsy, but also the causes that cause it. In some cases, drug therapy leads to a complete recovery of the child. As for other children, the treatment is not in vain for them either: the drugs reduce the severity and frequency of attacks, alleviate the patient’s condition, and improve the quality of life.
Is it possible not to treat epilepsy?
Epilepsy is a disease that requires compulsory treatment. Absence drug therapy is fraught with serious consequences, including death.
In a child who needs medical care, but does not receive one, attacks become more frequent.
A child can lose consciousness anywhere: at school, in public transport, in an open body of water or swimming pool, on the roadway.
It is good if in the situations listed above there are people next to the child who are ready to provide first aid and transfer him to safe place. Otherwise, the attack may end in failure: disability or injury incompatible with life.
An increase in the frequency of seizures that occurs if left untreated can lead to psychological problems. A child suffering from epilepsy becomes withdrawn and absent-minded, moves away from the team, and remembers information worse. In addition, frequently repeated attacks can cause the death of cerebral cortex cells.
Scientists have proven that timely treatment of the disease reduces the frequency and severity of seizures and prevents the occurrence of status epilepticus.
Is it possible to cure epilepsy?
Thanks to a number of modern techniques and drugs, epilepsy can be cured in 60-70 percent of patients. The remaining patients have a drug-resistant form of the disease, which is difficult to treat.
Probability full recovery increases if parents take the child to the doctor when the first symptoms of the disease appear. The chances of a cure increase with epilepsy caused by a genetic predisposition.
In this case, the duration of treatment is reduced, and small doses of anticonvulsant drugs are required for the child’s recovery.
This is explained by the fact that most forms of hereditary epilepsy are characterized by the absence of pronounced changes in behavior, lag behind peers and other signs of central nervous system damage.
Thus, epilepsy diagnosed in childhood is easily treatable.
The main thing is to closely monitor the child’s condition, record changes in his health and consult a doctor if any suspicious symptoms appear.
As a rule, an epileptic attack does not last long and ends on its own. But there are also severe forms epileptic seizures which can lead to coma. Read the first aid recommendations.
How it manifests itself focal epilepsy depending on the location of the lesion, is described in detail. Epilepsy of frontal, temporal, parietal lobe brain.
Video on the topic
Epilepsy is a neurological chronic disease, which is characterized by the appearance of regular.
Diagnosis of pathology in most cases occurs in childhood. Treatment of the disease involves the use of complex techniques and a specific algorithm of actions to eliminate and prevent attacks.
Causes Epilepsy in children is diverse and can include not only internal, but also external factors.
Is it necessary to treat nervous tics in children? find out right now.
Concept and features
Epilepsy belongs to the category of pathologies that manifest as a result dysfunction of certain parts of the brain.
IN medical practice This term combines a group of diseases whose symptoms are accompanied by the occurrence of regular stereotypical seizures occurring in different forms.
Convulsive conditions may be accompanied by loss of consciousness, have a tonic-clonic or myoclonic character.
Attacks occur suddenly, without provoking factors.
Peculiarities diseases:
- an epileptic attack is a disorder of autonomic processes, mental activity and motor mechanisms;
- The development of epilepsy can occur over a long period of time in an asymptomatic form (seizures appear from the moment of critical damage to certain parts of the brain).
Causes
The main causes of epilepsy in children include genetic predisposition
And negative impact on the brain by external or internal factors.
A tendency towards pathology may appear at the stage intrauterine development baby or in the first years of his life.
Children aged five to eleven years are at risk. Causes of epilepsy directly related to the state of the brain and the functioning of its specific systems.
provoke The following factors can cause epilepsy in a child:
- uncontrolled use of potent medications during pregnancy;
- genetic predisposition;
- congenital brain abnormalities in children;
- alcohol or drug abuse during pregnancy;
- damage to the cephalic circulation of ischemic nature;
- complications ;
- chromosomal pathologies (for example,);
- critical shortage of vital substances in the body;
- consequences of complications infectious diseases;
- severe complications;
- hereditary neurocutaneous diseases;
- progression of brain tumors;
- congenital and acquired diseases of the nervous system;
- consequences .
Classification
Epilepsy is divided into numerous types, but for childhood only individual varieties.
Classification is carried out depending on the degree of brain damage.
The main types of childhood epilepsy are: focal and generalized type.
In the first case, the pathology affects specific areas of the brain, in the second, it spreads to both hemispheres. These types of pathology are further divided into certain varieties.
Classification of epilepsy by the nature of the attacks:
- True Form(the attack is accompanied by loss of consciousness, convulsive states, increased salivation, involuntary defecation and urination, as well as respiratory arrest).
- Absence type(an epileptic attack manifests itself in the form of a characteristic “freezing” of the child in one position; in some cases, auditory and visual hallucinations).
- Temporal form(during an attack, the child repeats certain sounds or movements, this could be clapping his hands, smacking his lips, blinking, laughing or playing individual sounds).
- Frontal or nocturnal epilepsy (seizures only bother the child at night; symptoms of sleepwalking or involuntary shuddering of the limbs may appear).
- Rolandic form (convulsions manifest themselves as tingling sensations in certain areas of the neck, face, throat or oral cavity, this condition provokes cramps in the affected muscle areas and a sharp change in the child’s facial expressions).
How does it manifest?
Symptoms of epilepsy attacks in infants and older children is different.
In the first case, the baby may suddenly stop looking at some object and stop reacting to the environment.
This condition is preceded by excessive irritability, tearfulness or increased body temperature. The attack lasts from a few seconds to twenty minutes.
Weakness of the body after a seizure may persist for several hours.
Common symptoms and signs epilepsy are the following conditions:
- the child's tendency to convulsive conditions different intensity;
- regular occurrence of atonic attacks (loss of consciousness in combination with muscle weakness);
- sudden attacks of loss of consciousness (including stopping breathing);
- auditory or visual hallucinations during attacks;
- periodic trembling of the upper and lower extremities;
- turning blue skin during attacks;
- syndrome and;
- chronic;
- attacks in the form of sudden contractions and relaxations of facial muscles;
- sudden cries of a child combined with convulsive conditions;
- tendency to involuntary urination.
Seizures in epilepsy can be of three types - hysterical, cataleptic and narcoleptic.
In the first case, the child begins to roll on the floor, bang his hands on it, cry and moan (the provoking factor is a crowd of large numbers of people or psychological trauma).
Cataleptic an attack occurs as a result emotional overstrain and is accompanied by stupor and muscle weakness. Narcoleptic a seizure manifests itself as sudden and excessive sleepiness in a child.
Complications and consequences
Epilepsy attacks can harm a child’s health not only by the progression of brain pathologies, but also manifestation of convulsions.
During seizures, children can be seriously injured by foreign objects or by their own actions.
To prevent such consequences, parents need to know first algorithm medical care . In addition, epilepsy can disrupt the functioning of vital important systems body, so treatment must be carried out promptly and fully.
Consequences Epilepsy can be caused by the following factors:
First aid during an attack
An epilepsy attack occurs suddenly. There is a certain algorithm of actions that helps not only alleviate the child’s condition, but also shorten the time of the seizure.
During an attack of epilepsy, it is important to prevent the baby from receiving injuries that he may receive from a fall or convulsions.
Under no circumstances should you try to open the child’s jaws, give him water to drink, or perform artificial respiration. Such actions may cause additional complications.
First aid algorithm child during an attack:
- Remove all objects that could cause injury.
- Unbutton or remove clothing if breathing is difficult.
- Ensure receipt fresh air(open window).
- Turn the child's head to the side (to prevent the tongue from falling into the pharyngeal space).
- Call an ambulance (if the attack lasts longer than five minutes).
Diagnostics
Detection of epilepsy in a child carried out in two stages.
Primary diagnosis consists of collecting a history and visual examination of the small patient.
At the second stage of examining the child, various laboratory and instrumental procedures are used. Special attention is devoted to studying the state of the brain and identifying deviations in the performance of its individual functions.
The following are used for diagnosis: procedures:
- EEG of the brain;
- lumbar puncture;
- MRI and CT of the brain;
- night EEG monitoring;
- X-ray of the skull;
- PET scan of the brain;
- immunological blood test;
- study of biochemical parameters.
Treatment
Epilepsy therapy involves the use of complex techniques. Drug treatment must be supplemented creating the most favorable conditions for the little patient.
Stressful situations and the impact of negative external factors should be excluded.
Additionally, attention should be paid to the child’s diet, adherence to the daily routine and strengthening immune system body. The course of therapy is prescribed individually.
Epilepsy in children:
Forecast
At early diagnosis And timely treatment for epilepsy manages to get rid of almost completely.
If the disease is detected in an infant, then special therapy can eliminate the occurrence of seizures and restore impaired brain functions.
When epilepsy manifests itself in older children, the main goal of the course of treatment is to reduce the risk of recurrent exacerbations of the pathology. Unfavorable prognosis are possible only with prolonged ignoring of the symptoms of epilepsy and improper therapy.
Prevention
Preventive measures to prevent epilepsy in children must be started before pregnancy if the unborn child has a genetic predisposition to the pathology.
Parents need to go comprehensive examination and determine the degree of risk hereditary factor. Additional prevention carried out during pregnancy and after the birth of the child.
Prevention measures include the following recommendations:
- During pregnancy, it is necessary to exclude uncontrolled use of potent medications and abuse bad habits and the impact of other negative factors for the fruit.
- Timely prevention and treatment of infectious diseases (the rule applies to women during pregnancy and children).
- Prevention of head injuries (children should never be left unattended).
- Strengthening your baby's immune system from the very beginning early age(spending sufficient time in the fresh air, gentle hardening procedures, competent preparation of a children's menu).
If there is a suspicion of epileptic seizures in a child, It is necessary to urgently consult a doctor and undergo a comprehensive examination. Timely diagnosis will significantly increase the chances of favorable prognoses.
Ignoring the symptoms of epilepsy can disrupt the child’s quality of life and cause further progression of the pathology, as well as disorders of the brain.
Epileptic seizure: what is possible and what not to do what if the child has seizures? Find out from the video:
We kindly ask you not to self-medicate. Make an appointment with a doctor!
Epilepsy in children is one of the most common chronic neurological pathologies. In most cases (80%), it begins to appear in childhood. Timely detection makes it possible to carry out more effective treatment, which will allow the patient to lead a full life in the future.
Epilepsy – serious disease which requires serious medical treatment
General characteristics of epilepsy
Epilepsy is neurological disease which is chronic. Characterized by the sudden onset of epileptic seizures associated with a disorder of brain activity.
During a paroxysmal attack, the patient cannot control himself; motor, thinking and sensory functions are disabled. It is almost impossible to predict its occurrence, since the disease is one of the poorly studied and is mainly transmitted at the genetic level.
Epilepsy is more often diagnosed in children. If we consider at what specific age it can manifest itself, then there is no clear answer. Basically, the disease is detected from the age of 5 to 18 years.
Causes of the disease
The child's brain is endowed bioelectric activity, due to which certain electrical discharges occur with a clear frequency. If the baby is healthy and there are no abnormalities in the functioning of the brain, then these processes do not provoke abnormal changes in the condition.
Epileptic seizures occur when electrical discharges vary in strength and frequency. Depending on which part of the cerebral cortex pathological discharges are formed, the course of the disease differs.
The causes of epilepsy include:
- defects in the structure of the brain;
- pathological processes during labor;
- Down's disease;
- conjugation jaundice in infants;
- abnormalities in the formation of the brain;
- concussions, traumatic brain injuries (we recommend reading:);
- heredity;
- diseases of the central nervous system accompanied by severe course (convulsions, heat, chills, fever);
- infectious/ viral diseases brain structures.
Main symptoms of the disease in children
Since the concept of “epilepsy” includes about 60 types of disease, it is difficult to determine it by individual characteristics. Many parents believe that this pathology manifests itself only in the form of epileptic seizures, so some alarms. For each age, children have main distinctive symptoms that can be independently recognized.
Symptoms of the disease in infants are not always recognized on time, which is why special monitoring is required for children in the first years of life.
Features of the manifestation of epilepsy in infants
Pathology in newborns and children under one year of age manifests itself in the same way. Parents should immediately consult a doctor if the following signals are observed:
- blueness of the circumlabial triangle during feeding;
- involuntary twitching of limbs;
- focusing the gaze at one point;
- the baby does not respond to sounds for several minutes, begins to cry, and spontaneous bowel movements are possible;
- the muscles on the face go numb, then quickly contract.
Signs of the disease in older children
Schoolchildren and adolescents often experience worsening behavior; because of their illness, they become irritable and aggressive, and their mood changes dramatically. Such children definitely need the help of a psychologist, otherwise it will affect their mental and physical health child. Parents should provide their child with support and care in relation to peer relationships, academics and free time did not cause negative outbursts.
The frequency of attacks may increase. It is necessary to control the intake of pills, as children often deliberately neglect this.
Types and forms of epilepsy
There are more than 40 types of epilepsy. The classification of the disease depends on several factors - characteristic symptoms, localization of the pathological area, dynamics of the course of the pathology and age when the first epileptic signs are detected. The main types of the disease are symptomatic epilepsy in children, rolandic, nocturnal, etc.
| Type of epilepsy | Peculiarities | Symptoms |
| Idiopathic | At idiopathic epilepsy the patient does not have obvious neurological, mental disabilities. Intellectual and psychomotor development appropriate for age (more details in the article:). The main causes of this type of pathology are hereditary predisposition, congenital abnormalities of the brain, the toxic effects of alcohol and medications, and neuropsychiatric diseases. |
|
| Rolandic | The focus of the pathology is located in the Rolandic sulcus of the brain. This type of epilepsy manifests itself in a child from 3 to 13 years of age; by the age of 16, seizures completely disappear. During a seizure, the patient's muscles of the face and limbs are more involved. |
|
| Symptomatic | It almost never occurs in children; it is diagnosed after the age of 20, as it develops as a result of past illnesses. Towards development symptomatic epilepsy lead:
| With symptomatic epilepsy, various attacks appear, which differ in their course, symptoms and duration, for example:
|
| Cryptogenic | The most common type of disease (60%). The diagnosis of “cryptogenic epilepsy” is made when it is not possible to determine the cause that triggered the development of the disease. It is characterized by various symptoms and an increase in the affected area. |
|
| Night | Nocturnal epilepsy is a type of frontal epilepsy. The attacks occur exclusively at night. They are characterized by painlessness, because arousal does not cover a specific area. With high-quality therapy, complete elimination of the disease is possible. |
|
| Absence | A mild form of the disease, diagnosed less often in boys than in girls. The first signs are detected at 5-8 years. In the future, they pass independently during puberty or flow into another form. |
|
The absence form of the disease manifests itself at 5-8 years of age. The disease is classified not only by type; there are several forms. Depending on the area of the affected area, the course of the attacks will differ. There are 4 forms of epilepsy:
| Form of epilepsy | Peculiarities | Symptoms |
| Frontal | Foci of pathology are located in frontal lobes, the first signs may appear regardless of the patient’s age. It is very difficult to treat, so doctors often resort to surgical intervention. Paroxysms in frontal lobe epilepsy last about 30 seconds and occur mainly at night. |
|
| Temporal | The name indicates the area affected (temporal). The attacks almost always pass without the appearance of convulsions. Temporal lobe epilepsy curable, but requires compliance with all doctor’s recommendations, sometimes it can be treated surgically(removal of lesions). |
|
| Occipital | It appears in newborns, adolescents and mature people. The reason is a genetic predisposition or a consequence of injuries and infectious and inflammatory diseases. |
|
| Parietal | The focus of the pathology is in the crown. The main characteristic feature of this form is that the patient often experiences various sensations - pain, burning, uncontrolled movements and strange postures, etc. |
|
Types of seizures in children
Seizures are often accompanied by involuntary urination The following forms are distinguished:
- Infantile spasm - manifestations begin between 2 and 6 years of age. The attack appears immediately after sleep, is expressed in shaking (nodding) of the head, while the arms are brought to the chest. Lasts for several seconds.
- Atonic attacks - look like regular fainting.
- Seizures last from 30 seconds to 25 minutes. Initially, muscle cramps appear, breathing is almost absent. Convulsions may be accompanied by enuresis.
- Non-convulsive seizures (absences) are observed from the age of 5. The baby throws his head back for 20-30 seconds, his eyelids are closed and tremble a little.
Diagnosis of the disease
If parents notice signs of epilepsy in their child, then they should contact a neurologist to go through a series of diagnostic procedures. Deviations in children's behavior do not always indicate the presence of a disease.
This happens as a variant of the norm (for example, in infants it is very easy to confuse increased motor activity with signs of epilepsy) and symptoms of other neurological pathologies. Diagnostic methods used in modern medicine:
- encephalography;
- deprivation, photostimulation, sleep hyperventilation;
- EEG video monitoring and EEG of night sleep (we recommend reading:).
If a disease is suspected, the child undergoes a CT scan or MRI of the brain (we recommend reading:) In some cases, the doctor prescribes a repeat examination, because epileptiform activity in a child is possible even without the presence of of this disease. Diagnostics will help confirm/refute the diagnosis, prescribe effective treatment and monitor the dynamics of the pathology.
Treatment of epilepsy
When a diagnosis is made, the doctor prescribes effective treatment to eliminate the cause that provokes unpleasant symptoms and paroxysms caused by incorrect activation of neurons. In modern medicine, several treatment methods are used (mono/polytherapy, non-drug treatment and surgery).
Therapy for each patient is selected individually, the specialist takes into account the severity of symptoms, frequency and severity of seizures. The course lasts from 2 to 4 years, sometimes lifelong treatment is required. Regardless of the doctor’s prescriptions, the patient should additionally follow the following recommendations:
- correct daily routine;
- a special (ketogenic) diet (we recommend reading:);
- if necessary, visit a psychologist.
First aid during a seizure
It is impossible to predict the occurrence of an attack, so parents need to know the rules that must be followed during it. Knowing and applying the recommendations will help provide high-quality first aid to the child without causing harm to health.
Algorithm of actions:
- Place the baby on a flat, not high surface;
- you can turn your head and torso to the side so that vomit does not enter the respiratory tract;
- if there is no natural flow of fresh air, open the window;
- you should not try to stop a seizure or insert a hard object into your mouth;
- If the attack lasts more than 5 minutes, call an ambulance.
Use of drugs
Drug treatment is prescribed in a course that varies from several months to several years. Its main task is to reduce the frequency of attacks and gain control over them. Usually this method is enough for the patient to get better; in 30% of all cases, complete recovery is achieved.
The doctor prescribes anticonvulsants. Reception begins with a small dose, the dosage is gradually increased. Today the following medications are used:
- Diazepam;
- Luminals;
- Tegretol;
- Convulex;
- Phenlepsin;
- Depakine;
- Levetiracetam;
- Oxcarbazepine;
- Lamotrigine;
- Difenin.
Non-drug methods
Basic method non-drug therapy– ketogenic diet. The foods consumed must have the correct ratio of carbohydrates, proteins and fats (for 1 gram of protein and carbohydrates, 4 grams of fat). The following methods are also used to help treat the disease: biofeedback therapy, immunotherapy, psychotherapy and hormones.
Surgical intervention
Surgery is performed only as a last resort. It is effective in the treatment of symptomatic epilepsy, which is provoked by the appearance of neoplasms (frontal, temporal form). The following surgical methods are used:
- extratemporal resection;
- hemispherectomy;
- anterior temporal lobectomy;
- installation of implants to stimulate the vagus nerve;
- limited temporal resection.
Prognosis for recovery and prevention
In children under one year of age, treatment is most successful; complete recovery is achieved, especially if the cause of epilepsy is heredity. Such children are no different from their peers and develop according to their age.
Taking anticonvulsant drugs in teenage years in 75% of cases it allows to relieve all symptoms, eliminate the occurrence of seizures and completely cure the patient. If you follow the recommendations, the prognosis for the future is favorable.
