Seizures

Preventing and coping with epileptic seizures

Seizures are a fact of life for many people suffering from epilepsy, and as much as 1 percent of the population has experienced a seizure at some point in their lives. Seizures can occur without warning, and almost anyone may have one with the right pattern of events. While epileptic seizures are the most common kind of seizure, they may also be triggered by allergic reactions, diabetic hypoglycaemia, poisoning, head injury or stroke.

Recognizing symptoms of a seizure

Seizure sufferers may find that they experience an aura, which can include changes in body temperature, feelings of tension and anxiety leading to a panic attack, musical sounds, odd tastes or a bright light. In some cases, this is the entire sum of the seizure; these mini attacks are called simple partial seizures.

Symptoms in children do not follow a set pattern, but there are some common events associated with the onset of seizures. These include profuse sweating, eye dilation and involuntary movements. At the point of seizure, their pupils will shrink to pinpoints.

Treatment of seizures

There are a range of medications on the market which can be used to treat seizures. Two of the most widely recognised are Dilantin, sometimes associated with lupus treatment, and diazepam, previously known as Valium, which has been known to cause reflex tachycardia, or a quickened heart rate. Anti-epileptic drugs prevent seizures by changing the neurotransmitter message in the relevant nerve cells. Around 70 percent of sufferers control seizures with medication.

Those for whom the medications do not work sometimes opt for more severe measures, such as surgery. Lobectomy, corpus callosotomy and multiple subpial transaction all serve to impede the movement of nerve messages from one part of the brain to another. Deep brain stimulation also has been proven useful. Consultants in child epilepsy have also been successful in using high fat, low carbohydrate diets to control seizures. Other patients have attempted to try natural remedies, such as yoga, meditation and other forms of relaxation.