The disease which has captured 65 million people in the world
Read this post and don’t be the next one
Have you ever hear about the disease Epilepsy? Yes, or No, but wait doesn’t worry we’ll make you learn this complicated term in just 15 minutes. Try to read the full article may be you are or might be your habits are going to make you the next prey of this disease.
So what is Epilepsy?
Epilepsy is a brain disorder that causes people to have recurring seizures. The seizures happen when clusters of nerve cells, or neurons, in the brain send out the wrong signals. People may have strange sensations and emotions or behave strangely. They may have violent muscle spasms or lose consciousness.
You might be now confused what are seizures?
Seizures are bursts of electrical activity in the brain that temporarily affect how it works. They can cause a wide range of symptoms.
Oh wait this is a lot of biological definition, I am sure this is what you might be thinking right so let me explain you this disease in simple words it’s a kind of brain disorder which is caused by our brain sending irregular electrical impulses which is not the regular behavior of the brain.
So the disease which is the fourth most common brain disorder what are its causes:
20% of people having epilepsy today there is basically no evidence for how did they develop it but Occasionally, epilepsy can be caused by damage to the brain, such as damage from:
- a stroke
- a brain infection
- a lack of oxygen during birth
Lets now see how does epilepsy impact you and your near and dear ones because epilepsy is a brain disorder, it can affect many different systems throughout the body.
Epilepsy can affect you dear and near ones as epilepsy is a brain disorder, and we all know that brain controls mood and due to this brain disorder mood swings are caused. These mood swings can change you to act differently and this act of your can cause to develop cracks in your relationship. To prevent this just tell your family member “I am a patient of Epilepsy and I can have mood swings so please forgive me if I behave badly with you”.
Social and economic impacts
Epilepsy accounts for 0.6% of the global burden of disease, a time-based measure that combines years of life lost due to premature mortality and time lived in less than full health. Epilepsy has significant economic implications in terms of health care needs, premature death and lost work productivity.
The economic impact of epilepsy varies significantly depending on the duration and severity of the condition, response to treatment, and the health care setting. Out-of-pocket costs and productivity losses create substantial burdens on households. An economic study from India estimated that public financing for both first- and second-line therapy and other medical costs alleviates the financial burden from epilepsy and is cost-effective (1).
Although the social effects vary from country to country, the stigma and discrimination that surround epilepsy worldwide are often more difficult to overcome than the seizures themselves. People living with epilepsy can be targets of prejudice. The stigma of the disease can discourage people from seeking treatment for symptoms, so as to avoid becoming identified with the disease.
Human rights
People with epilepsy can experience reduced access to health and life insurance, a withholding of the opportunity to obtain a driving license or educational opportunities, and barriers to entering particular occupations, among other limitations. In many countries legislation reflects centuries of misunderstanding about epilepsy. For example:
- In both China and India, epilepsy is commonly viewed as a reason for prohibiting or annulling marriages.
- In the United Kingdom, laws which permitted the annulment of a marriage on the grounds of epilepsy were not amended until 1971.
- In the United States of America, until the 1970s, it was legal to deny people with seizures access to restaurants, theatres, recreational centers, and other public buildings.
Legislation based on internationally accepted human rights standards can prevent discrimination and rights violations, improve access to health-care services, and raise the quality of life for people with epilepsy.
How to identify you have epilepsy?
Because epilepsy is caused by abnormal activity in the brain, seizures can affect any process your brain coordinates. Seizure signs and symptoms may include:
- Temporary confusion
- A staring spell
- Uncontrollable jerking movements of the arms and legs
- Loss of consciousness or awareness
- Psychic symptoms such as fear, anxiety
Treatments for epilepsy
Treatment can help most people with epilepsy have fewer seizures or stop having seizures completely.
Treatments include:
- medicines called anti-epileptic drugs – these are the main treatment
- surgery to remove a small part of the brain that’s causing the seizures
- a procedure to put a small electrical device inside the body that can help control seizures. But there are many factors which are affected by this type of surgery first of all this kind of surgery cost a lot of money so economically you are affected, ethically you doing this kind of surgeries promote others to go for others surgeries like brain transplants which can cause crimes as people will kill people to sell organs and lastly ethically people to find ways to escape from the harsh realities of life will sell their organs.
- a special diet (ketogenic diet) that can help control seizures
Prevention
Idiopathic epilepsy is not preventable. However, preventive measures can be applied to the known causes of secondary epilepsy.
- Preventing head injury is the most effective way to prevent post-traumatic epilepsy.
- Adequate perinatal care can reduce new cases of epilepsy caused by birth injury.
- The use of drugs and other methods to lower the body temperature of a feverish child can reduce the chance of febrile seizures.
- Central nervous system infections are common causes of epilepsy in tropical areas, where many low- and middle-income countries are concentrated. Elimination of parasites in these environments and education on how to avoid infections can be effective ways to reduce epilepsy worldwide, for example, those cases due to neurocysticercosis
To conclude if you feel that you are a person suffering from epilepsy than don’t worry as this is a common disease and just one thing please don’t go late for treatment.