Information on Epilepsy
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.
