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Epilepsy
What are the symptoms of epilepsy in children?
Common symptoms of epilepsy in children generally include sudden convulsions. During a convulsion, the typical manifestations are tightly closed or staring eyes, rolled-up eyeballs, clenched teeth, twitching at the corners of the mouth, frothing at the mouth, head and neck thrown back, and repetitive flexing or rigid shaking of the limbs. Generally, these can last for a few minutes, or vary from several seconds to ten minutes. Of course, there are also focal seizures, such as twitching of one side of the body, or absence seizures. Some infantile spasms are characterized by jackknife movements, occurring in clusters, with each display being different. The symptoms described earlier are typical of a generalized tonic-clonic seizure.
How is epilepsy treated?
Epilepsy treatment can be divided into the following aspects: First is etiological treatment. If epilepsy is caused by tumors or cerebrovascular diseases, surgical removal of the lesion can relieve epilepsy, but seizures often still occur, so medication must not be stopped. Secondly, pharmacological treatment is necessary for epilepsy induced by unclear causes or genetic metabolic diseases. Treatment involves taking and adjusting medications under medical guidance, based on different types of seizures and individual patient circumstances. Additionally, for some cases where the cause cannot be clearly identified and no epileptic foci are found, functional surgery can be performed for treatment.
Care for children during epileptic seizures
During an epileptic seizure, it is crucial to control the seizure promptly by using sedative and anticonvulsant medications. While administering these drugs, it is important to closely monitor for consistent breathing. Additionally, during a seizure, it is necessary to ensure that the airway remains clear, provide oxygen, and, if required, use mechanical ventilation to maintain airway patency. Prevent biting injuries to the tongue and position the head to one side so that secretions can flow out of the corner of the mouth, preventing reflux of stomach contents and risk of choking. Protect brain function and vital organs, and prevent cerebral edema. After the seizure has stopped, long-term administration of antiepileptic drugs should be continued to prevent recurrence.
What is epilepsy?
Epilepsy is a common disease in neurology and includes many types, generally including primary epilepsy and secondary epilepsy. Primary epilepsy refers to cases where the cause is unknown, while secondary epilepsy has a clear cause. Common causes include developmental disorders of the cerebral cortex, tumors, and cerebrovascular diseases, traumatic brain injuries, and central nervous system infections, including encephalitis, meningitis. Cerebrovascular diseases such as cerebral hemorrhage and cerebral infarction can also induce epilepsy. Additionally, certain neurodegenerative diseases, such as motor neuron disease and late-stage Parkinson's disease can also trigger epileptic seizures. Patients with ischemic hypoxic encephalopathy and toxic encephalopathy may also experience epileptic seizures, and some systemic diseases may also lead to epileptic seizures.
What are the dietary precautions for epilepsy?
People with epilepsy should avoid consuming stimulating beverages such as cola, Sprite, Red Bull, and coffee. They should eat more vegetables and fruits and less spicy and stimulating foods, paying attention to these dietary recommendations. Additionally, maintaining a regular lifestyle is important; avoiding prolonged use of electronic devices is advised as these, along with previously mentioned beverages like cola and Red Bull, can overexcite the brain and trigger epileptic seizures. It is also imperative to take anti-epileptic drugs regularly under the guidance of a doctor and not to miss any doses.
What precautions should epilepsy patients take?
Patients with epilepsy should pay attention to establishing regular daily routines and avoid staying up late. They should not participate in potentially dangerous activities such as climbing or swimming. Also, they should minimize consumption of stimulating beverages like cola, Sprite, Red Bull, and coffee. It is advisable to eat more vegetables and fruits and reduce the intake of spicy and stimulating foods. Maintaining a regular life schedule is important, and playing electronic devices or using mobile phones for extended periods should be avoided. All sorts of exciting situations can easily trigger an epileptic seizure, so it is crucial to eat regularly without becoming too hungry or too full. Moreover, taking anti-epileptic drugs regularly and following medical guidance from doctors at the hospital is necessary.
What are the symptoms of epilepsy in children?
Epilepsy is a chronic brain disorder caused by various etiologies, characterized by repetitive, episodic, and transient central nervous system dysfunction due to abnormal and excessively synchronized discharges of brain neurons. The clinical manifestations of childhood epilepsy are complex and varied, commonly including loss of consciousness, localized or generalized muscular rigidity or clonic convulsions, and sensory abnormalities; there may also be abnormal behaviors, emotional and perceptual disturbances, memory changes, and autonomic nervous system dysfunction.
What are the clinical manifestations of epilepsy?
Epilepsy is caused by abnormal discharges of brain cells, and the symptoms and clinical manifestations vary depending on the area of discharge. Main symptoms can include sudden loss of consciousness, rigidity followed by clonic convulsions, and may also involve cyanosis or purpling of the face, tongue biting, frothing at the mouth, urinary incontinence, dilated pupils, continuing for several seconds to minutes before stopping. This condition is called a generalized tonic-clonic seizure. Some patients may also experience sudden brief loss of consciousness and interruption of ongoing actions, with a blank stare and unresponsive to calls. They may perform simple automatic actions like swallowing or chewing. Generally, there is no falling, and the patient has no memory of the episode afterwards. This type of seizure is known as an absence seizure. Additionally, some may experience rigidity and clonic convulsions in one limb or a localized area, etc.
What are the symptoms of epilepsy in children?
Seizures in children manifest in various forms, but they all share characteristics of sudden onset, sudden cessation, and periodic occurrence. Common types include grand mal seizures, absence seizures, and benign childhood epilepsy. During a grand mal seizure, the child suddenly loses consciousness, stops breathing, turns blue-purple, pupils dilate, limbs stiffen, hands clench into fists, followed by spasmodic convulsions, foaming at the mouth, with the episode generally lasting 1-5 minutes. Absence seizures in children present as sudden loss of consciousness, interruption of activity, staring or rolling of the eyes, but without falling down or convulsing, lasting 1-10 seconds, with consciousness quickly returning after the episode. Benign childhood epilepsy seizures often involve twitching of one side of the face, lips, or tongue, possibly accompanied by abnormal sensations in the area, inability to speak, drooling, generally with clear consciousness, with episodes occurring more frequently at night.
What causes epilepsy in the elderly?
If a patient has no history of epilepsy but begins to experience epileptic seizures in old age, it is generally secondary epilepsy, also known as symptomatic epilepsy. All patients should have a clear cause, but with current diagnostic techniques, it is not always possible to find the cause. If the cause cannot be identified, it is called cryptogenic epilepsy. In such cases, it is generally necessary to improve diagnostic methods, such as cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and cranial magnetic resonance angiography. The most common causes of epilepsy in the elderly are generally cerebrovascular disease, brain trauma, or encephalitis, and in some cases, brain tumors. Any disease that causes brain cell damage can potentially cause symptomatic epileptic seizures. If all imaging examinations fail to reveal any abnormalities, regular follow-ups are necessary to monitor for early-stage tumors that may not be detectable on imaging tests. Meanwhile, antiepileptic treatment should be administered, and routine blood tests, liver, and kidney functions should be regularly monitored.