26.01.2017

Epilepsy has been known as a disease for a long time. Translated from Greek, the name of the disease sounds like “I grab.” This is a disease that affects the brain partially or completely. In many cases the problem appears with early years, and if the patient does not receive full treatment, it will accompany him in the future.

When epilepsy is detected in elderly patients (over 60 years of age), this is a sign of cognitive pathology.

The problem is common. A positive treatment outcome is influenced by many circumstances. The choice of treatment course is made individually depending on the severity of the disease, the frequency and outcome of seizures.

It is practically possible to cure epilepsy completely if the disease has an acquired form.

The pathology has a unique character; patients with epilepsy often experience both seizures and behavioral changes.

There are three types of disease:

1. Hereditary.
2. Acquired or symptomatic. This form Mainly a consequence of traumatic brain injury, it can also appear after inflammatory processes in the brain.
3. Epilepsy, the cause of which is unknown.

Reasons

1. Congenital pathologies associated with brain functioning;
2. Consequences of skull injuries during childbirth;
3. Damage to delicate tissue in a child.

The disease may be a consequence cancerous tumors or cerebral infarction.

These factors disrupt the nutrition of brain tissue, which provokes disruptions in nerve impulses. This condition provokes epileptic seizures.

Signs

The main symptom of the disease is a seizure. The patient falls, convulsions appear, and loss of consciousness is recorded.

Sometimes a seizure may occur when a person freezes and remains in this state for some time. Afterwards he does not remember this “pause”.

There are attacks when the patient performs his actions automatically, without realizing the essence. He may walk and hit an obstacle. It seems to others that he is adequate in his actions, but this is not so. The person does not remember these moments afterwards.

First aid

When a person has an epileptic attack and loss of consciousness is recorded, you should not try to crush his teeth, do artificial respiration. This can harm the patient.

It is necessary to place the victim on his right side so that he does not choke on saliva. You should put something under your head. The head should be in a horizontal position.

It is not allowed to turn him on his back, nor straighten him. The natural position is the fetal position. You need to wait until the attack passes.

After a seizure, the patient experiences a confused consciousness and finds it difficult to control his actions. May try to do usual things, go somewhere. You should intervene carefully and not rudely and help him lie down. This state lasts about 20 minutes, then the person calms down and comes to his senses.

Such people may have restrictions when choosing professional activity, but they are sane and can work and live like the rest.

Step-by-step diagnosis of the disease

A neurologist or epileptologist treats epilepsy. To determine ways treatment course the doctor conducts special studies.

Conducted:

1. Determination of the neurological and behavioral specifics of the patient;
2. Blood test;
3. Electroencephalogram;
4. CT and MRI;
5. Positron emission tomography;
6. Psychological tests.

A comprehensive diagnosis can help to accurately determine the causes of the disease and prescribe a course of treatment.

When is surgical treatment chosen?

In some cases, epilepsy can only be cured through surgery. Indicators for the operation are:

1. Mesial-temporal sclerosis;
2. Frequent atonic non-convulsive seizures;
3. Loss of consciousness during a partial seizure with secondary generalization;
4. Manifestation of partial seizures with the previous state of the aura.

The tumor causing the formation of the disease is eliminated surgically. This method can cure the disease completely. After it, the attacks disappear forever.

The likelihood of a complete cure for epilepsy

Some types of disease, such as benign epilepsy, are not recorded in adults. This type occurs only in children, and as they grow older the process stops without medical intervention. Some doctors consider epilepsy chronic neurological disease, with progressive severity and repetitions of seizures, leading to irreparable disorders.

Practice shows that the course of epilepsy is not always progressive. The attacks disappear and mental abilities people remain normal.

The question of whether it is possible to get rid of epilepsy forever can be answered ambiguously.

Probability complete cure great, but in some severe cases this is impossible. Severe cases include:

• epileptic encephalopathy in a child;
• serious brain damage;
• meningoencephalitis.

Important factors influencing the outcome of treatment are also:

• age at the time of recording the first attack;
• the nature of the attacks;
• psychointellectual position of the patient.

The encouraging prognosis is supported by:

• improperly organized therapeutic activities at home;
• delayed treatment;
• asthenic characteristics of a person;
• social factors.

Drug treatment

Organized in the context of therapy neurological problems. The key to success is early diagnosis.

Therapeutic therapy should be long-term; after the attacks disappear, the patient should take special medications for a certain time, gradually reducing the dose. The patient should follow a diet, rest and work regimen.

The choice of method is made based on the main pathogenetic circumstances of the appearance epileptic seizures.

The nature of the course of the disease is associated with the location of the convulsive focus, the protective and compensatory abilities of the body, and from external circumstances.

Therapeutic therapy includes:

1. The use of antiepileptic drugs that are aimed at relieving seizures in patients;
2. Introduction of a ketogenic diet, aimed at the active formation and burning of fats instead of carbohydrates.

Therapy is carried out under the supervision of a doctor. Possible side effects include:

• constipation and dehydration;
• psycho-emotional problems;
• growth retardation in a child, provoked by an increase in the percentage of lactic acid in the blood;
• formation of kidney stones.

As aids Treatment with traditional methods is also used.

The use of mistletoe leaves is considered effective, but not flowers or berries, they are poisonous. The plant helps restore nerve cells and increase body tone.

The leaves are poured with alcohol and left for 10 days. Take in the morning, 4 drops for 15 days. You should take a break for 15 days, then take an alcoholic tincture of rosea radiola.

Prevention

Preventive measures help eliminate relapses.

1. Maintain a sleep schedule;
2. Study exercise, lead active image life;
3. Include in the diet healthy food, vegetables, fruits;
4. Avoid conflict and stressful situations;
5. Do work in a pleasant environment, where they know about a person’s illness and, if necessary, first aid will be provided;
6. Be aware of first aid methods for yourself.

Sticking preventive measures And timely treatment will help you return to the normal rhythm of life and enjoy it.

Is it possible to permanently cure epilepsy? updated: January 26, 2017 by: vitenega

Epilepsy is a fairly common disease nervous system, the treatment of which in Russia is treated in adults by neurology and psychiatry (in the presence of mental disorders), and in children by pediatrics and child neurology.

If epilepsy is suspected, the patient must undergo a comprehensive comprehensive examination, which includes a whole range of studies.

Epilepsy is divided into three types based on origin:

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Studies of the disease have made it clear that traumatic brain injuries in patients, neuroinfections and perinatal pathology. Very often, concerned parents ask whether epilepsy in children can be treated?

The effectiveness of therapy largely depends on how timely the disease was diagnosed and how quickly treatment was started. But it can be argued that childhood epilepsy is much more treatable than adult epilepsy.

The main difficulty is that epilepsy is diverse in its clinical manifestations.

But it is always expressed in the form of seizures, which are divided by medicine into:

Clinical picture of generalized seizure- this is a fainting with difficulty breathing, convulsions, possible biting of the tongue, uncontrolled emission of urine. Autonomic symptoms often appear.

Similar nonconvulsive seizures occur without all of the above and are characterized by loss of consciousness for 10-20 seconds. This is a typical simple generalized nonconvulsive seizure.

Complex occurs with the inclusion of motor symptoms, the cause of which is contraction of the facial muscles. A fall in a patient with epilepsy is called an atonic seizure. But much more often, in terms of the number of cases, partial seizures exceed generalized ones.

A simple partial seizure includes motor, sensory, mental and autonomic-visceral manifestations that occur without impairment of consciousness.

These include:

A complex partial seizure is characterized by the presence of psychomotor automatisms and altered consciousness.

Both types can lead to complete loss consciousness of the patient and convulsions of tonic or clonic type.

Such a seizure will already be called secondary generalized.

The main task of examining the patient is to exclude other diseases that can cause epileptic seizures.

To make an accurate diagnosis, the patient is subjected to a comprehensive study, which necessarily includes:

• blood test;
• viewing the fundus;
• X-ray examination of the skull;
• neuroimaging with brain tomography;
• Doppler ultrasound of the cerebral arteries.

A significant role is played by interviewing the patient and his family for the presence of seizures, seizures and other symptoms of possible epilepsy in the past. An electroencephalogram can demonstrate typical changes in the biopotentials of the brain.

Modern clinics conduct many hours of monitoring of electroencephalograms, while simultaneously recording the patient’s condition on video to monitor epileptiform activity the patient, including during sleep.

Very often, a predisposition to epilepsy can be genetic or established in the perinatal period. , which begins in childhood, can lead to intellectual impairment.

Epilepsy that occurs after the age of 45 is often symptomatic. There is also a so-called alcoholic epilepsy as a consequence of a severe form of alcoholism.

The effectiveness of therapy largely depends on its correctness. The basis for the treatment of epilepsy is medications, but in addition to them, the patient must follow a special lifestyle that reduces the risk of new attacks. Some patients are prescribed therapeutic massage, it is contraindicated for others.

Is it possible to get rid of seizures forever?

The European Commission on Epilepsy cites statistics according to which approximately 50 million people in the world are affected by this disease, which today amounts to almost 1% of the world's inhabitants. It is also worth considering the fact that epilepsy is not always accurately diagnosed, so this figure is probably higher.

In Russia, epilepsy occurs in 2-9 cases per 1000 people. The low percentage of diagnoses is explained by imperfect examination methods.

In most cases, routine EEG is used, the accuracy of which does not exceed 30%. More effective methods diagnostics are offered, as a rule, in expensive paid clinics, which are not available to all patients.

Along with the low percentage of accurate diagnoses, epilepsy is often presented as an incurable disease, although this is not entirely true. Newly diagnosed epilepsy in adults and children is approximately 70% curable with to varying degrees success.

Antiepileptic drugs can help to successfully establish total control of seizures, and after several years of therapy, the patient can stop taking the medications without fear of relapse.

The cure rate in adults is slightly lower than in children, but is close to 60%. It is important that the patient leads a lifestyle that does not lead to the risk of relapse, that is, gets enough sleep, strictly avoids alcohol, etc.

Of course, we are talking about complete recovery doesn’t work, but about excluding seizures - yes. So why in most cases does epilepsy become a heavy burden for the patient for life?

The thing is that in developing countries, about 75% of patients with this disease are deprived of decent treatment that gives a chance for recovery. In our country, this percentage is lower, but the main successes belong to pediatric epileptology. In adults, the situation is worse.

The answer to the question of whether epilepsy in adults can be treated rests entirely on the shoulders of specialists called upon to combat this disease.

The problem of our country is the fact that epilepsy in our country is often treated not by specialized epileptologists, but by neurologists and psychiatrists, whose field of activity, although it covers this disease, is still less well versed in the intricacies of diagnosis and therapy.

Another problem is the inaccessibility of the latest, most effective drug developments in this area, making possible new treatments with high positive results. Many drugs have not been registered in our country and cannot be used to treat patients in the Russian Federation.

List of drugs

Drug treatment of epilepsy today remains the main method of combating the disease. The drugs are used long-term and continuously, and the principle of individualizing therapy for each patient is cultivated.

Modern antiepileptic drugs, or simply AEDs, are conventionally divided into basic ones (phenobarbital, valproic acid, benzobarbital, primidone, phenytoin, carbamazepine) and new generation drugs.

Therapy depending on the type of disorder

Surgical treatment of epilepsy

In cases where conservative treatment does not bring the desired result, perhaps surgery. An operation may be prescribed if, according to research, seizures occur in specific areas of the brain, surgical intervention in which will not lead to disruption of life. important functions body. During the operation, areas causing seizures, are deleted.

According to statistics, surgery is used in 20% of treatment cases. Moreover, half of such cases are associated with the removal of a brain tumor. The remaining half most often refers to the presence of sclerosis of the hippocampus of the temporal lobe.

If seizures occur in areas of the brain that cannot be removed, incisions may be made to stop the seizures from spreading to other areas of the brain.

Duration of therapy at various types epilepsy varies - in addition to the type of disease, the patient’s age and individual qualities are taken into account. In adults, after discontinuation of medications, relapses are observed in an average of 35% of cases. In children - no more than 25%. Treatment of the idiopathic form of the disease can lead to complete recovery.

Cancellation of therapy can be carried out no earlier than after 2 years of remission, but only in cases of epilepsy with a low risk of relapse. In this case, stopping the use of AEDs is not carried out immediately, but gradually.

If the patient has severe focal neurological symptoms, severe morphological changes in the brain, then cancel drug therapy not practiced.

Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological diseases. It is based on the fact that the functions of a group of neurons ( nerve cells) are temporarily weakened in a certain part of the brain - in the so-called epileptic focus. This leads to seizures. Neurons typically transmit information using electrical impulses. However, when neurons are overstimulated, impulse transmission and discharge fail. This can be compared to electrical wiring in which a short circuit occurs over a small area. The group of neurons responsible for an epileptic attack is the same in structure as other healthy ones, there are only problems in their bioelectric properties. And that is why a malfunction occurs, which can be located in different parts of the brain. However, most often epileptic foci are recorded in the temporal, frontal or parietal zone, in in rare cases- in the occipital.

1. Calm down. Most seizures last 2-4 minutes.
2. Provide safety for the patient (eg, move the patient to a bench or bed).
3. Lay it on its side.
4. There is no need to press the patient's entire body to the ground. Simply holding his head is enough to protect him from injury.
5. During an attack, do not put anything between the victim’s clenched teeth! Don't give him any medicine.
6. After an attack, stay with the patient until his condition is completely normal. If possible, give him the opportunity to at least get some sleep.
7. Call ambulance if the seizure lasts longer than ten minutes, or recurs within a short time.

Treatment

This disease needs to be treated, because otherwise it can lead to irreversible changes in the brain and ultimately to fatal outcome. How to treat epilepsy, and is it possible to get rid of it forever? It all depends on the nature of the disease and the patient’s persistence.
Sometimes it takes years to cure an illness; in some cases, patients must take medications and monitor their lifestyle for the rest of their lives. In 80% of patients who fully comply with the recommendations, attacks go away forever.

Home treatment

Pharmacy drugs cause many side effects. Therefore, patients often look for folk remedies, which would help them get rid of epilepsy. You need to start with changing your diet and lifestyle. If this does not help, herbs are used to help cure the disease and forget about the attacks forever.

Diet and lifestyle

Herbs

If the methods described above do not give the desired result, you should know how to treat epilepsy with herbs. Action herbal preparations based on their ability to improve blood circulation in the brain and maintain the activity of nerve impulses at the proper level.

Healing seed mixture

Mix evening primrose seeds, plantain seeds, pumpkin seeds, and fenugreek seeds in equal proportions. Add a little honey, mix everything well again and store in the refrigerator. Every day, 3 times a day before meals, you need to take 1 tablespoon of this medicine (it can be washed down with a small amount of water).

Most popular collection

To cure epilepsy in an adult, the following fee is used:

• Calamus rhizomes – 50 g;
• Valerian root – 50 g;
• Hop cones – 100 g;
• Nettle leaves – 50 g;
• Lavender – 50 g;
• Celandine – 50 g;
• Willow bark – 50 g;
• Burdock root – 50 g;
• Leaves walnut– 50 g;
• Melissa – 100 g;
• Dill seeds – 50 g;
• Motherwort – 50 g;
• St. John's wort – 50 g;
• Chamomile – 50 g

Mix all ingredients. Every morning, pour 3 large tablespoons of this mixture into 1 liter of boiling water in a thermos. Drink the resulting drink 3 times a day, 1 glass between meals, and 1/5 glass immediately after each meal. You can add honey to the drink to taste. Treatment should last 3 months.

Help for epilepsy caused by brain injury

Epilepsy very often occurs after brain trauma. In this case, Sophora will help you. Grind 100 g of the fruits of this plant in a meat grinder or blender, pour in 500 ml of medical alcohol and leave in a dark place for at least 2 weeks. Take the prepared tincture in the morning and evening, one tablespoon at a time.

Good effect They also produce arnica flowers, which also need to be infused in alcohol (100 g of crushed plant per liter of alcohol). After two weeks, strain the tincture and take a tablespoon twice a day.
Mix equal proportions of juniper berries, mistletoe, lavender and hop cones. You need to prepare tea from this mixture: half a tablespoon of the mixture per glass of boiling water. This drink should be drunk three times a day after meals.

Immediate treatment after an attack

Once the patient has received first aid for an attack, his condition can be quickly alleviated with the help of certain medications.

1. Powdered nutmeg is given on the tip of a knife every tea after a seizure for 3 hours.
2. Orange leaves also provide good help (you can eat them fresh or dried, one or two leaves every hour).
3. In the spring, during an attack, use juice from fresh dandelion roots or leaves (take one teaspoon). Continue treatment for several days to allow the nervous system to fully recover.
4. First aid will be even more effective if the patient is allowed to smell rue leaves.
5. Warm baths with a decoction of pine buds or willow bark are helpful. But remember that the duration of the procedure should not exceed 15 minutes.

Effective remedies for all patients

Now we will offer universal assistance from traditional healers. This means that the recipes proposed below are suitable for all types of “black disease” and for any age. If you take herbs for 6-10 months, you can completely cure the injured parts of the brain and forget about seizures and convulsions.

So, in natural medicine, an infusion of purple violet is actively used for these purposes. Take 2 tablespoons of this herb, add 500 ml of water, bring to a boil and simmer over low heat for 5 minutes. Drink 100 ml 4 times a day.
Mix the roots of fine-leaved peony and cyanosis in equal proportions, and fill with vodka (500 ml of vodka per 100 g of mixture). The product should stand for two weeks in a dark place, after which the patient should drink one teaspoon of it an hour after each meal.
It has been noticed that cherry glue is good for epilepsy. It should be taken half a teaspoon 3-4 times a day.
Have the patient sleep on pillows stuffed with dried thyme, mint, lavender, or rue.
Be sure to carry out a course of treatment with sedum leaves. They must be eaten in fresh 3 times a day, 50 g.

Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders with a chronic course.

It affects about 50 million people worldwide, most of them living in low- and middle-income countries.

Since ancient times, epilepsy has been surrounded by fears and myths, which largely persist to this day.

But modern methods of therapy can successfully correct the condition. Let's figure out how epilepsy manifests itself and whether it can be treated.

Definition and reasons

The term "epilepsy" applies to a group of diseases (there are about 60 of them) that are characterized by periodic seizures.

They arise as a result of synchronous excitation of neurons in the cerebral cortex.

The area where excess electrical discharges are observed is called an epileptogenic focus. The frequency of attacks can vary: from several per day to one every 1-2 years. A single seizure does not indicate the presence of pathology. To make a diagnosis there must be two or more.

In 60% of patients, the causes of epilepsy have not been established. This condition is called idiopathic. It is assumed that it is genetic in nature. In other cases, there is a relationship neurological disorder and various factors leading to brain damage.

The main causes of secondary (symptomatic) epilepsy:

Epilepsy – serious illness, which in modern conditions can be controlled with the help of properly selected medications. This allows patients to live a full life: play sports, travel, drive a car.

However, it should be remembered that an attack can be triggered by alcohol intake, lack of sleep, visual stimuli (in some forms of the disease), severe stress. Even in the case of stable remission, people with epilepsy are contraindicated in extreme activities - mountaineering, diving, high-altitude work, since the risk of a seizure still remains.

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THE ABC'S OF EPILEPSY (PART 1)

pediatric neurologist S.V. Zaitsev

• Epilepsy - what is it, why and when does it appear?
  
• Epilepsy is common!
• What is so “scary” about epilepsy?
• Results and consequences epileptic seizures
• How, when and why it is necessary to treat and whether epilepsy can be cured
• Standards of treatment for typical forms of epilepsy
• Daily routine, diet and lifestyle
• Diary of attacks
• Visit kindergarten, schools and sports
• Should I discuss my illness with my child?
• Raising children with epilepsy
• Epilepsy in infants
  
• Epilepsy in adolescents
• Epilepsy in expectant mothers
• Specific non-epileptic seizures - epimimicry
  
• Pseudoepileptic seizures
• Affective-respiratory paroxysms
• Non-epileptic seizures
• Night attacks
  
• Epilepsy and work, choosing a profession with epilepsy, aspects of employment for patients with epilepsy, recommendations for driving a car for patients diagnosed with epilepsy
  
• Epilepsy: additional research methods
• Febrile seizures
• Attention! The doctor will definitely ask these questions! (part 2)
• When the first attack occurred and events, sensations before and before the attack (aura)
• What does an attack look like? consciousness before, during and after an attack
• Movements and sounds during an attack
• Falls and injuries during an attack
• Duration of attack
• Events after the attack
• Night attacks
• Possible tests of consciousness during and after an attack:
• What to do during and after an attack?
• Information for doctors
• Classification of epilepsy
• Classification of epileptic seizures
• Basic treatments for epilepsy
  
• Surgical treatment of drug-resistant, severe forms of epilepsy
  
• Generics in epilepsy or non-original anticonvulsants(reproduced, generic drugs, copies, generics, analogues)

Epilepsy - what is it, why and when does it appear?

The “simplest” reasons epilepsy easy to find and prove with modern methods studies, they are associated with brain damage: birth injuries; intrauterine and acquired neuroinfections; tumors; traumatic brain injuries; malformations of the brain; hereditary metabolic disorders and chromosome pathology. These are the so-called symptomatic forms of epilepsy. Some forms of epilepsy are only of genetic origin, while many are determined by a whole complex of genetic and acquired causes. Even deep examination in many patients does not reveal any signs of structural brain damage. Then we're talking about about idiopathic epilepsy, or about congenital functional features brain. Translated from Greek, “idiopathic” means a disorder of unknown origin, without apparent cause.

always appear unexpectedly, like a “bolt from the blue,” at any age and at any moment of life, from birth to old age. Most often, in about half of the cases, seizures occur in children under 16 years of age. Some epileptic seizures are almost or completely invisible to others: short-term (fractions of a second) “freezing” and stopping of gaze; others may look deathly terrible. The paradox is that “small” and imperceptible epileptic seizures are usually not at all more favorable, and sometimes much more dangerous, than full-blown massive convulsions with loss of consciousness and foam at the mouth.Variants of epileptic seizures in the section

Epilepsy is common!

What is so “scary” about epilepsy?

Probably, to a certain extent, such emotions, especially among parents, are explained by the genetic “fear of death” and the “nightmarish” external manifestations of some epileptic seizures, when the child suddenly loses consciousness and convulses. Until now, in society, and even among doctors, there is an absolutely erroneous point of view that epilepsy is necessarily combined with mental disorders and decreased intelligence. To this day, many are stubbornly mistaken, claiming that epilepsy is necessarily inherited and is very difficult to treat.

Results and consequences of epileptic seizures

Short rare or single epileptic seizures do not lead to serious damage brain neurons. Prolonged epileptic seizures, especially status epilepticus lead to severe impairment or even destruction of neurons. In addition, sudden loss of consciousness often leads to serious injuries and accidents. Epileptic seizures also have negative social consequences. Often, fear of an attack in public place, fears of loss of control over oneself at the time of an attack and other anxieties disrupt the social adaptation of patients, forcing them to lead a solitary lifestyle.

How, when and why it is necessary to treat, and is it possible to cure epilepsy

Epilepsy must be treated, except for some rare benign forms. Delay in prescribing anticonvulsant therapy can lead to serious consequences and impairment of quality of life, especially in children. More high risk attack in the absence of treatment, more often leads to injury, the likelihood of a sudden fall with loss of consciousness on the street, in an institution, on a river is higher; road traffic accidents and falls from stairs are not excluded. Frequent attacks lead to decreased performance at school and impaired performance; the patient cannot study, and communication is impaired. Prolonged seizures, as well as status epilepticus, can cause the death of cells in the cerebral cortex. It has long been convincingly proven that timely and adequate therapy helps reduce the duration of seizures and prevent the occurrence of status epilepticus. In most cases, the earlier treatment is started, the higher its effectiveness and the better the final result.

The vast majority of epileptologists do not recommend long-term use of anticonvulsant therapy after the first seizure (however, every rule has its exceptions!). Still, the main condition for prescribing long-term anticonvulsant therapy is the presence of repeated, stereotypical, spontaneously (of course, “for no reason”) seizures. Unfortunately, there are also forms of epilepsy (epileptic disintegration) without epileptic seizures, but accompanied by severedelayed neuropsychic development and severe behavioral disorders, which clearly require the use of long-term antiepileptic therapy.

Currently, in 70-80% of cases, complete control of seizures is possible using anticonvulsant therapy using one, or, less commonly, several antiepileptic drugs. Thus, most forms and variants of epilepsy are potentially treatable or completely curable disorders. However, it must be remembered that different forms of epilepsy have different courses and prognosis. There are a number of forms of epilepsy, which are called “catastrophic”, and are characterized by an early onset of the disease (the first 3 years of life), high frequency seizures, delayed neuropsychic development of the child, resistance of seizures to anticonvulsant therapy. Considering this fact, the physician and parents should understand that the treatment goals for benign and catastrophic forms of epilepsy are different. The main goal of treatment of favorable forms of epilepsy is complete control of seizures and the absence of side effects of therapy; In our days of “thrifty economy”, an important factor is the desire for minimal cost and ease of treatment.

Basics of treatment of typical forms of epilepsy

• Individual dose selection and initiation of treatment with one anticonvulsant drug - monotherapy
• Regularity of use and duration of therapy (usually at least 3 years)
• effectiveness of treatment
• Dynamic analysis of possible side effects of anticonvulsant treatment
• Changes in therapy only in consultation with the attending physician
• Psychological correction

Daily routine, diet and lifestyle

It is advisable to go to bed at the same time and have a full 8-hour sleep. Lack of sleep can provoke an attack. In some cases, on the advice of a doctor, you should limit the amount of “friendship” with TV, and in some cases, when the connection between watching TV and an attack is obvious (“television” epilepsy), exclude it altogether. The diet of a child with epilepsy is normal, with some restrictions on doctor's advice, excessive intake of salt and spicy foods, and in adolescents and adults - exclusion of alcohol.

Diary of attacks

Pedantic regular recording of data on the date, time, nature and duration of the patient’s epileptic attack, analysis of provoking factors, monitoring of medications received and their dosages, and any side effects that occur. Proper journaling is one of the components of successful treatment!

Attending kindergarten, school and sports

In standard cases, if epileptic seizures are under control or are rare, and the child does not have comorbid disorders, there are no contraindications to attending kindergarten or school. Such children are quite capable of engaging in physical education and sports. Corresponding physical activity not only safe, but also very useful. This is decided by the attending physician. However, the child should be exempted from activities where there is a danger of falling (sports equipment, horse riding, skiing, skating, ski jumping, diving, cycling, and, of course, swimming. A child with epilepsy can swim only in the presence of vigilant adults, aware of his attack. Swimming in. cold water or with a large contrast in water and air temperatures can serve as a provoking factor in the development of an epileptic attack.

Should I discuss my illness with my child?

Yes! It is better to first consult with a child psychologist. It is better to talk about his well-being in private. All family conversations about seizures should be open and honest. Business discussion prevents the development of self-pity. It is necessary to give your child confidence that you will always come to his aid if necessary. Of course, there is absolutely no need to constantly remind him of his problems and monitor his every move. Those around the child, his friends and classmates do not necessarily need to know about his illness. If you consider it necessary to inform them about this, then it is better to do this in a small group, talk about the characteristics of the disease and ask them to help the sick child.

Raising children with epilepsy

Extremely important advice to parents: be sure that your child is ordinary, normal, a person who special attention only necessary in certain area health. And you need to educate him in the same way as absolutely healthy child. To a large extent, what kind of personality a child will develop from depends only on the parents.

EPilepsy does occur in different ways, sometimes with separate behavioral problems. Most ill-informed parents try to control their child’s life as much as possible, creating greenhouse living conditions. Such excessive care and “greenhouse” life have a negative impact on personal development child, disrupts his social adaptation; in the future, even with complete recovery, his quality of life suffers. Excessive sympathy, anxiety waiting for an attack, unaccountable feeling guilty and constant pity for the child do not at all contribute to the formation of his abilities and harmonious development; on the contrary, it ultimately leads to the development of neuroses. Without a doubt, in this case, the child’s behavioral disorder is associated with mental parental problems, and not with epilepsy.

Epilepsy in infants

In most cases, in infants, seizures are invariably very dangerous symptom, which requires thorough investigation. Often, seizures are the first sign of the onset of a serious neurological disease (neuroinfection, trauma, epilepsy); but much more often, seizures develop in children who already have organic lesion central nervous system (cerebral palsy, congenital anomaly brain).
In infants, seizures can be extremely insidious, external manifestations epileptic seizures are extremely diverse, often hidden under the guise of physiological phenomena, and always depend on the age of the child and the form of pathology.
For example, in infancy, the beginning of an attack can be very small, fast, unilateral rhythmic contractions of the muscles of the face and eyes, then the spasms spread to the arm and leg of the same side, or to the whole body. Often there is a turning of the head and eyes to the side, with unilateral abduction of the arm to the side - tonic convulsions. The most mysterious seizures to recognize are those that outwardly look like normal movements of a child. infancy: smacking, sucking, chewing, grimacing (so-called opercular attacks), while a change in complexion occurs (pallor, blueness, redness), and drooling occurs. Rare, but one of the most difficult to diagnose, can be an episode of a short-term stop of gaze: “freezing”, a sudden cessation of motor activity, as if the child was lost in thought, “withdrawn into himself.” There are also general shudders of the whole body, followed by large-scale shaking of the hands and screaming; isolated irregular tremors of the arms or legs (single or repeated myoclonic convulsions). In such cases, it is easy to make a mistake and regard the onset of epileptic seizures as normal physiological movements of an infant.
An example of one of the most malignant epileptic seizures is “Salaam bows and nods”: unexpected symmetrical bending forward of the head, torso, arms, and less often legs. Sometimes it’s the other way around - the head and torso are sharply extended, the arms and legs are abducted. Almost always characterized by loss of consciousness, often a grimace of suffering, rolling of the eyes, trembling of the eyelids, and often crying; attacks occur in series, the total number can reach several tens or even hundreds per day. “Favorite” time of attacks is before falling asleep or immediately after waking up. Such attacks can cause significant problems in the child's development and require immediate diagnosis and treatment.
In such cases, it helps doctors detailed story parents, careful video recording and diary of attacks, as well as conductingvideo-EEG monitoring.

Epilepsy in adolescents

Adolescence can influence the course of epilepsy in different ways. Often, to everyone’s joy, the attacks stop and the medications are discontinued. However, we must not forget that some forms of epilepsy progress at this age: behavior is significantly impaired, new variants of attacks arise, and their number increases.

All parents know that adolescence is a “horror-horror” in itself, but what if the teenager also has epilepsy? This age is already characterized by a zealous desire for independence and compliance with certain teenage standards. In the situation with epilepsy, this takes on a completely new negative connotation: some teenagers, not recognizing their illness, stop listening to the advice of their parents and doctors. For them, there is only the authority of their peers, the leaders of the group. Irregular use (or even refusal) of antiepileptic drugs, sleep deficiency, various psychophysical overloads, use of alcoholic drinks, smoking, night discos, etc. - all logically ends in a sad relapse of epileptic seizures. In the opposite case, sometimes teenagers with epilepsy, ashamed of their problems, deliberately limit their communication with others, which gradually leads to social isolation and a decrease in the quality of life. Such problems require professional psychological assistance. Sleep and rest schedule, sports, TV, computer, video games, discos, smoking; alcohol, car, profession, etc. - all this is discussed by the doctor with the teenager and parents

Epilepsy in expectant mothers

Choosing a profession with epilepsy