February 6, 2017.
When we talk about epilepsy, we think of awesome fits and convulsions. And, in the end, what exactly do we know about this disease which affects close to 500,000 people in France?
Is a seizure a symptom of epilepsy?
According to Health Insurance, epilepsy is a neurological condition characterized by ” sudden and excessive discharges of nerve impulses in the brain Which are manifested by fits and involuntary tremors. It is important to note thata seizure does not necessarily mean you have epilepsy. To be sick, these crises must be repeated regularly.
In addition, you should know that epilepsy is not inevitable since half of the children affected by epilepsy recover before adulthood. The causes of this disease are multiple but it seems that certain forms of epilepsy are genetic. We often find several patients in the same family. In France, 0.6 to 0.7% of the population is affected and in 75% of cases, the disease took hold before the age of 18.
The seizures are not the same depending on the areas of the brain affected
Symptoms vary depending on the areas of the brain affected. If the motor cortex is affected, then the patient will experience stiffening or rhythmic jerking during their seizures.. If it is the auditory or visual cortex that is affected then he will suffer from auditory or visual hallucinations. A discharge can also start at the level of the frontal lobe, then the crisis will cause abnormal posturing and fearful behavior.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), epilepsy can be treated in about 70% of cases. The patients can indeed follow drug treatments and after a few years, the seizures can disappear and the drugs then become unnecessary. As a last resort, surgery may be beneficial for patients who do not respond to drug treatments. But it is not without danger.
Marine Rondot.
To go further: Vagal discomfort or epileptic seizure?
