Natural Remedies

Epilepsy is a neurological condition. This means it affects the brain and nervous system. Seizures can affect all or part of the brain. Areas of the brain called the temporal, occipital or frontal lobe are commonly affected. Each area of the brain performs different functions causing a different type of seizure - if the temporal lobe is affected, for example, this is called temporal lobe epilepsy.

People with epilepsy are more likely to develop depression than other people; it’s important to be aware of that possibility so that you can get help early. Being open with friends and family about your condition is vital because you’ll need to lean on them for support. Talk to your doctor about your concerns, and ask for referrals to support groups. Listening to the experiences of other people with epilepsy and sharing with them can be reassuring, and you can learn from each other.

Epilepsy is a brain disorder in which clusters of nerve cells, or neurons, in the brain sometimes signal abnormally. Neurons normally generate electrochemical impulses that act on other neurons, glands, and muscles to produce human thoughts, feelings, and actions. In epilepsy, the normal pattern of neuronal activity becomes disturbed, causing strange sensations, emotions, and behavior, or sometimes convulsions , muscle spasms, and loss of consciousness.

The Facts on Epilepsy

The name epilepsy comes from the Greek “to be seized.” Sudden seizure is the hallmark of this illness. It may involve falling to the ground and twitching spasmodically, but not always. As the brain goes about its daily functions, millions of electrical and chemical signals pass from its nerve cells out to the body. These electrochemical messages are necessary for almost everything we do and feel. Seizures are a sudden and abnormally high discharge of electrical activity among large numbers of nerve cells in the brain.

Causes 

The specific cause of epilepsy is generally unknown. Sometimes it is connected to an infection or injury in the brain; heredity can also play an important role in the incidence of epilepsy among children. However, having a parent with epilepsy only slightly increases the risk of a child developing the disease.

Symptoms 

The severity of symptoms can vary greatly, from simple staring spells to loss of consciousness and violent convulsions. For many patients, the event is the same thing over and over, while some people have many different types of seizures that cause different symptoms each time. The type of seizure a person has depends on a variety of many things, such as the part of the brain affected and the underlying cause of the seizure.

Treatment

Home care with epilepsy varies with the frequency and type of seizures. It is important to take anticonvulsant medication regularly to prevent seizures.

When a seizure occurs, an observer can use common sense to prevent injuries.

Cushion the person’s head.

Loosen any tight neckwear.

Turn the person on his or her side.

Calcarea carbonica. [Calc]

The treatment of epilepsy should be directed to the underlying dyscrasia, as this is at fault in most, if not all, cases. Calcarea carbonica, with its rickety, tuberculous, scrofulous and flabby symptoms, its characteristic deficiency of lime assimilation, as shown in children by the open fontanelles and backward dentition, will frequently be the remedy with which to commence the treatment. The characteristic relaxation on falling asleep and the sweating of the head and neck are fine indications for its use. It has an excellent clinical record.

Epilepsy is a neurological disorder and has nothing to do with your mental capabilities, but there can be a stigma associated with the diagnosis. People with epilepsy face certain restrictions; for example, you are not allowed to drive until your seizures are under control, and this could cause difficulty in finding a job. And if your child has epilepsy, he or she may be restricted from participating in some sports.

Epilepsy was one of the first brain disorders to be described. It was mentioned in ancient Babylon more than 3,000 years ago. The strange behavior caused by some seizures has contributed through the ages to many superstitions and prejudices. The word epilepsy is derived from the Greek word for “attack.” People once thought that those with epilepsy were being visited by demons or gods. 

Causes

Sometimes seizures are related to a temporary condition, such as exposure to drugs, withdrawal from certain drugs, or abnormal levels of sodium or glucose in the blood. In such cases, repeated seizures may not recur once the underlying problem is corrected.In other cases, injury to the brain (for example, stroke or head injury) causes brain tissue to be abnormally excitable. In some people, an inherited abnormality affects nerve cells in the brain, which leads to seizures.

In other cases, injury to the brain (for example, stroke or head injury) causes brain tissue to be abnormally excitable. In some people, an inherited abnormality affects nerve cells in the brain, which leads to seizures.Some seizures are idiopathic, which means the cause can not be identified. Such seizures usually begin between ages 5 and 20, but they can occur at any age. People with this condition have no other neurological problems, but often have a family history of seizures or epilepsy.Disorders affecting the blood vessels, such as stroke and TIA, are the most common cause of seizures after age 60.

There are many signs and symptoms of epilepsy. In many cases, the symptoms are unnoticeable. The most common symptom is a seizure. Seizures are classified as grand mal or petit mal. Grand mal seizures may consist of rapid pulse, whole body spasms, jerking muscles, biting of the tongue, bladder and bowel incontinence, and dilated pupils. Petit mal seizures are less severe and typically include temporary lack of awareness. Sufferers may appear to have a blank expression on their face, or temporarily “space out.” Once the seizure concludes, the sufferer is usually unaware of their previous condition.

Diagnosis

Epilepsy is diagnosed mainly via interpretation of a patient’s medical history; the patient describes what the seizures were like and, when a patient can’t recall the seizures, witnesses also may be asked to describe what they saw. Tests may be done to rule out shortterm causes of seizures, such as uncontrolled diabetes or infections. A complete neurological exam is done, including an EEG (electroencephalogram, a machine that records brain waves picked up by wires taped to the head).

Treatment

Medication controls seizures for most patients, who are otherwise healthy and able to live full and productive lives. It is very important not to stop taking anticonvulsants without consulting your doctor, even if you are no longer having fits.This is because you may develop a condition called status epilepticus, in which you have one fit immediately after another.

Epilepsy is a neurological disorder and has nothing to do with your mental capabilities, but there can be a stigma associated with the diagnosis. People with epilepsy face certain restrictions; for example, you are not allowed to drive until your seizures are under control, and this could cause difficulty in finding a job. And if your child has epilepsy, he or she may be restricted from participating in some sports.

Epilepsy was one of the first brain disorders to be described. It was mentioned in ancient Babylon more than 3,000 years ago. The strange behavior caused by some seizures has contributed through the ages to many superstitions and prejudices. The word epilepsy is derived from the Greek word for “attack.” People once thought that those with epilepsy were being visited by demons or gods. 

Causes

Sometimes seizures are related to a temporary condition, such as exposure to drugs, withdrawal from certain drugs, or abnormal levels of sodium or glucose in the blood. In such cases, repeated seizures may not recur once the underlying problem is corrected.In other cases, injury to the brain (for example, stroke or head injury) causes brain tissue to be abnormally excitable. In some people, an inherited abnormality affects nerve cells in the brain, which leads to seizures.

In other cases, injury to the brain (for example, stroke or head injury) causes brain tissue to be abnormally excitable. In some people, an inherited abnormality affects nerve cells in the brain, which leads to seizures.Some seizures are idiopathic, which means the cause can not be identified. Such seizures usually begin between ages 5 and 20, but they can occur at any age. People with this condition have no other neurological problems, but often have a family history of seizures or epilepsy.Disorders affecting the blood vessels, such as stroke and TIA, are the most common cause of seizures after age 60.

There are many signs and symptoms of epilepsy. In many cases, the symptoms are unnoticeable. The most common symptom is a seizure. Seizures are classified as grand mal or petit mal. Grand mal seizures may consist of rapid pulse, whole body spasms, jerking muscles, biting of the tongue, bladder and bowel incontinence, and dilated pupils. Petit mal seizures are less severe and typically include temporary lack of awareness. Sufferers may appear to have a blank expression on their face, or temporarily “space out.” Once the seizure concludes, the sufferer is usually unaware of their previous condition.

Diagnosis

Epilepsy is diagnosed mainly via interpretation of a patient’s medical history; the patient describes what the seizures were like and, when a patient can’t recall the seizures, witnesses also may be asked to describe what they saw. Tests may be done to rule out shortterm causes of seizures, such as uncontrolled diabetes or infections. A complete neurological exam is done, including an EEG (electroencephalogram, a machine that records brain waves picked up by wires taped to the head).

Treatment

Medication controls seizures for most patients, who are otherwise healthy and able to live full and productive lives. It is very important not to stop taking anticonvulsants without consulting your doctor, even if you are no longer having fits.This is because you may develop a condition called status epilepticus, in which you have one fit immediately after another.

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Bipolar disorder occurs in both men and women. About 5.7 million people in the United States have the disorder. There is no racial group that is more afflicted by this disease. Because of the extreme and risky behavior that goes with bipolar disorder, it is very important that the disorder be identified. With proper and early diagnosis, this mental condition can be treated. Bipolar disorder is a long-term illness that will require proper management for the duration of a person’s life. 

A mood disorder sometimes called manic-depressive illness or manic-depression that characteristically involves cycles of depression and elation or mania. Sometimes the mood switches from high to low and back again are dramatic and rapid, but more often they are gradual and slow, and intervals of normal mood may occur between the high (manic) and low (depressive) phases of the condition. The symptoms of both the depressive and manic cycles may be severe and often lead to impaired functioning.

Mania is separated into two types: Full mania and hypomania. Mania may be characterized by a decreased need for sleep, decreased self-control, overspending, increased sexual activity, irritability, rage, risk-taking behaviors, and in the more severe cases psychotic states. Hypomania is described as having the same behaviors, to a less extreme level.

Bipolar II disorder is characterized by major depressive episodes alternating with episodes of hypomania, a milder form of mania. Bipolar depression may be difficult to distinguish from unipolar depression (depression without mania, as found in major depressive disorder). Patients with bipolar depression tend to have extremely low energy, retarded mental and physical processes, and more profound fatigue(for example, hypersomnia—a sleep disorder marked by a need for excessive sleep or sleepiness when awake) than people with unipolar depression.

How do you get bipolar disorder?

Experts today believe that bipolar disorder is caused by several different things, including a chemical imbalance in your brain.

Bipolar disorder also seems to run in families. About two thirds of people with bipolar disorder have a close relative who also has the disorder, or who suffers from severe depression.

Causes

The cause of bipolar disorder has not yet been discovered. Many researchers believe that heredity is an important factor. Two-thirds of bipolar patients have a family history of mental disorders. Some research studies claim to have found a genetic link for bipolar disorder. Genes are the chemical units present in all cells that tell cells what functions to perform. Genes are passed down from parents to children.

Bipolar disorder in children and adolescents can be hard to tell apart from other problems that may occur in these age groups. For example, while irritability and aggressiveness can indicate bipolar disorder, they also can be symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, conduct disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, or other types of mental disorders more common among adults such as major depression or schizophrenia. Drug abuse also may lead to such symptoms.

Mood Stabilizers

Mood stabilizers are drugs that provide acute relief from mania, provide acute relief from depression, and prevent recurrences of mania or depression.

The most commonly used mood stabilizers are:

• Lithium (Eskalith, Lithobid, Lithonate)
• Divalproex sodium (Depakote)
• Carbamazepine (Tegretol, Carbatrol)
• Oxcarbazepine (Trileptal)