You need to know: the symptoms and treatment of epilepsy in our children

The human brain is a very complex mechanism that controls all the functions of the body. The slightest changes in its structure are reflected in the work of the body.

One of such manifestations is epilepsy, the article will deal with the main manifestations of this pathology in children, as well as the methods of diagnosis and treatment.

Understanding the essence of

Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disease characterized by loss of consciousness and convulsions, in children this pathology occurs several times more often than in adults and is most often manifested beforeof the year. Every hundredth inhabitant of the planet encounters its manifestations.

The diagnosis of "epilepsy" is serious enough, but one should not be afraid of it. The disease can be cured or controlled by his attacks.

The mechanism of development of epilepsy is quite complicated. The human brain consists of a huge number of elements called neurons.

They periodically receive impulses that send information to a particular organ. In the case of epilepsy, the neuronal cluster is gradually formed in the brain. They are in constant excitement and do not "rest."

Such a site is otherwise known as an epileptic focus. The surrounding neurons try to contain the excitement. When the impulse from the outbreak comes out, all the elements of the brain are activated. At this point, there is an epileptic seizure.

The child loses consciousness, his muscles begin to contract. After a while, the activity of neurons falls, they go into a "sleeping" mode.

Clinically, this is manifested by muscle weakness. The child comes to himself, but more often than not he does not remember anything about what happened.

The main causes of

Epileptic seizures are associated with activation of excitation processes in the cerebral cortex. At the same time, different waves and discharges begin to form in the cells. Under the influence of certain factors, they increase and gradually accumulate in certain areas of the brain.

Among the main causes of epilepsy in children, doctors distinguish the following:

• use of medicines during pregnancy;
• abuse of a future mother with alcoholic beverages and narcotic substances;
• hereditary predisposition;
• infectious diseases in school-age children( meningitis, encephalitis);
• birth injury.

Determining the cause of the disease often determines the tactics of treatment.

The disease is divided into many forms depending on the cause, nature and localization of the pathological process. Let's consider each of the variants of the ailment in more detail.

Acute strokes in different parts of the brain

Focal epilepsy, characterized by the localization of the pathological focus in a specific part of the brain and convulsive attacks. The disease, in turn, is divided into the following species.

Symptomatic epilepsy

Occurs due to structural damage to the brain or its abnormal development:

• frontal ( characteristic manifestations of the disease make themselves felt mainly at night);
• temporal ( accompanied by a loss of consciousness, but pronounced convulsions are absent);
• parietal ( in infancy it is extremely rare);
• occipital ;
• is a chronic progressive .

Idiopathic varieties of violation of

The main cause of idiopathic epilepsy is hereditary predisposition. It is not characterized by the presence of structural changes in the brain:

• Rolandic epilepsy ( the focus of the pathological process is localized in the Roland furrow, the disease passes to adolescence);
• Gasto Syndrome ( infantile spasms spread to different muscle groups, causing their sudden contraction).

The etiology of cryptogenic epilepsy is still unexplored.

Mass impact on two hemispheres

Generalized epilepsy is accompanied by the involvement of two hemispheres of the brain in the pathological process simultaneously.

It can also be symptomatic, cryptogenic or idiopathic.

What are the symptoms that indicate the disease?

The clinical picture of the pathological process is determined by the age of the patient. The main manifestation of epilepsy are regular seizures.

Other symptoms of epilepsy in children:

• convulsions lasting from 2 to 20 minutes;
• loss of consciousness;
• respiratory arrest;
• involuntary urination;
• atonic attacks( loss of consciousness + relaxation of muscles).

In infants, the manifestations of the disease are somewhat different. Sometimes they are difficult to distinguish from ordinary motor activity. However, with close observation, you can see that the child has stopped swallowing, his eyes are focused on one object, and he does not react to external stimuli.

Most often, seizures are preceded by fever, excessive tearfulness and irritability. After the return of consciousness, there is a weakness in the right or left half of the body, which can persist for several days.

What are seizures?

Along with classic epileptic seizures, there are also small forms of the disease. They are characterized by a transient flow, complete disconnection of consciousness. The attack is accompanied by a violent reaction from the internal organs.

The following types of epileptic seizures in children are distinguished:

1. The cataleptic fit of most often occurs against the background of emotional overload. Thus the child falls, but not abruptly. Due to decrease in muscle tone, it seems to settle. During the disorder, the patient remains conscious, and memory is not lost.
2. The narcoleptic seizure of the is characterized by sudden development. The child has an insurmountable state of drowsiness. After awakening, it is quickly restored, all processes gradually come to normal. The patient feels rested.
3. The hysterical attack of occurs due to mental trauma and a large population of people. The patient neatly falls to the floor, trying not to encounter sharp objects. The seizure can last from 30 minutes to several hours. At this time the child rolls on the floor, knocks his hands, loudly screams or groans.

Diagnostic methods

When the first symptoms of epilepsy appear in a child, it is necessary to consult a doctor. Diagnosis of the disease is carried out in two stages. First, the doctor collects an anamnesis of the patient, then proceeds to the instrumental methods of confirming the disease.

It is important for a specialist to know when the first seizures occurred, how the pregnancy was going, whether there were any bad habits with the parents. It is these questions that most often make it possible to determine the neurological status of a small patient.

The next step is to go directly to a medical examination. The most informative method of diagnosis is an electroencephalographic study. EEG allows you to determine the bioelectric activity of the brain, possible pathological changes in its structure.

In case of complex forms of the disease, repeated studies are prescribed. Sometimes it takes a long recording EEG with fixation on video.

Additional diagnostic methods include MRI and CT of the brain, with which you can determine the cause of the disease. Based on the results of the examination, the doctor confirms or refutes the presence of the disease, if necessary discusses the tactics of treatment with the parents.

Basic principles of therapy

Treatment of epilepsy is complex. Usually it implies a change in the mode of work and rest, compliance with the diet, as well as taking medications.

Doctors recommend avoiding stress and psycho-emotional experiences, limiting viewing of television programs and working at the computer. The child should spend more time in the open air, engage in affordable sports.

As for the diet, it does not imply severe restrictions. It is only necessary to control the amount of salt and liquid consumed.

Drug treatment is administered on an individual basis, taking into account the patient's condition and age. Usually use anticonvulsant drugs( Phenobarbital, Valproate sodium, Diphenin).Medicines begin to take with small doses, gradually increasing the number of tablets. Phenobarbital is most effective in small patients.

It has virtually no side effects, the drug is well tolerated, does not cause changes in the psyche. Treatment is usually lengthy, it is unacceptable to interrupt the course for one day. If the number of attacks and their intensity decrease, the medication is given in a full dose.

Another option for the treatment of epilepsy is surgical intervention. To his help resorted to if the disease is symptomatic and is caused by malignancies in the brain.

Forecast for recovery

In infants, the prognosis for this epilepsy is favorable. At this age, pathology is excellent for therapy, and with time, convulsive activity is reduced.

Adolescents with medication can achieve complete control of seizures. If for four years epilepsy does not manifest itself, the doctor usually makes a decision to cancel anticonvulsant medications.

According to statistics, in 60% of patients attacks are not repeated in the future.

Prevention measures

Is it possible to prevent the onset of epilepsy in a child? To prevent this disease, doctors recommend to start even during pregnancy. All nine months the woman should watch over the health, correctly to eat, avoid stressful situations.

After the appearance of the baby, breastfeeding helps to reduce the risk of the disease. Milk contains in its composition a large number of substances necessary for the full development of the brain. In addition, close contact during feeding calms the baby.

Given the variety of forms of epilepsy, even single seizures are the reason for contacting a doctor. Timely diagnosis and competent treatment can greatly facilitate the life of the child.