What to do if epilepsy occurs multiple times?

Written by Liu Shi Xiang
Neurology
Updated on May 13, 2025
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If epilepsy occurs multiple times, it is necessary to control the patient's seizures with effective medication. For example, patients with grand mal seizures need to be given diazepam and phenobarbital in a timely manner to stop the seizures. In addition, patients also need to take long-term oral medications such as lamotrigine and sodium valproate to prevent the occurrence of epilepsy. If it is a partial seizure, patients need to take medications such as carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine, gabapentin, and pregabalin long-term to prevent seizures. For patients with intractable epilepsy that responds poorly to medication, surgical treatment can also be used to control the symptoms of epilepsy. Moreover, in their daily lives, patients need to adopt good dietary and lifestyle habits to avoid various triggers that may cause repeated seizures. For instance, patients need to ensure sufficient and good quality sleep, maintain a calm mindset, and also abstain from smoking and drinking. Only by doing so can the repeated occurrences of epilepsy be effectively prevented.

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Written by Yuan Jun Li
Neurology
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Does epilepsy have symptoms when it is not causing seizures?

When epilepsy is not active, there are no symptoms. Patients mainly show recurrent epileptic seizures, usually lasting three to five minutes. After the seizure stops, the patient does not exhibit any symptoms or signs. Clinically, epilepsy is categorized into primary and secondary types. For primary epilepsy, if a patient experiences more than two episodes, routine use of anti-epileptic drugs is recommended. The choice of medication varies depending on the type of epilepsy. Typically, monotherapy is preferred initially. However, if monotherapy is ineffective or causes substantial side effects, a combination of two or more anti-epileptic drugs may be used to try to control the seizures. In cases of secondary epilepsy, which often has a clear cause, the primary focus is on treating the underlying condition. This includes long-term cerebrovascular diseases like cerebral hemorrhage and cerebral infarction, as well as conditions like encephalitis and brain tumors. Treatment should be tailored to the specific disease.

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Written by Li Jiao Yan
Neonatology
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incidence of epilepsy in children

Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder, with the highest incidence in children under the age of one. The prevalence of epilepsy in China ranges from 0.4% to 0.7%, with nine million epilepsy patients, of which six million have active epilepsy. Every day, there are 400,000 new cases of epilepsy, with a prevalence of up to 1% among those aged sixteen and under. There are many children with epilepsy, experiencing various types of seizures, each with its own characteristics, but all share the features of sudden onset, abrupt cessation, and periodicity.

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Written by Tong Peng
Pediatrics
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What causes benign epilepsy in children?

There are multiple causes of benign epilepsy in children, with significant genetic factors often involved. It generally occurs during a specific developmental period in childhood due to localized diseases, and the prognosis is usually good. Such seizures in children may be caused by conditions like tuberous sclerosis, cerebral trigeminal angioma, and neurofibromatosis. Intracranial infections, such as viral encephalitis, bacterial meningitis, and tubercular meningitis, can also trigger benign epilepsy in children. Therefore, once diagnosed, early intervention treatments should be initiated to prevent the symptoms from worsening. Regular follow-ups with electroencephalograms are also necessary to understand the effects of epilepsy medications and treatments.

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Written by Liu Shi Xiang
Neurology
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Can mild epilepsy be treated?

Mild epilepsy is treatable. If the patient is experiencing their first seizure or if the seizures are infrequent, it’s generally appropriate to observe clinically and not rush to use anti-epileptic drugs. Such patients typically experience only very mild neurological symptoms during a seizure, such as limb weakness, numbness, or facial droop. However, if the patient's seizures occur frequently, it is necessary to control the symptoms with anti-epileptic medications, which often include drugs such as levetiracetam, gabapentin, sodium valproate, and lamotrigine. Patients with mild epilepsy should also work on strengthening their exercise routines, maintaining a calm mind, and getting sufficient sleep to help prevent seizures to a certain extent. If the patient's condition worsens or becomes intractable epilepsy, surgical treatment methods may be considered to control the symptoms.

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Written by Yuan Jun Li
Neurology
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What are the signs before the onset of epilepsy?

Before the onset of epilepsy, most patients do not exhibit any signs and can suddenly experience an epileptic seizure. Different types of epilepsy have different symptoms. For example, during a major seizure, symptoms can include limb twitching, eyes rolling upwards, frothing at the mouth, clenched teeth, loss of consciousness, and abnormal blood pressure, which can lead to severe falls and injuries. During a minor seizure, the patient mainly shows transient loss of consciousness, objects in hand may suddenly drop, unresponsiveness when called, and a vacant stare. Most patients do not fall, and the symptoms generally last for only a few seconds to tens of seconds. If autonomic epileptic seizures are considered, symptoms may include nausea and vomiting. Psychotic symptom seizures can present with hallucinations and delusions.