The symptoms of epilepsy in the adult at the initial stage, with the loss of an unconscious, sleep without seizures. How to recognize, treatment

Epilepsy - a disease that is known to mankind since ancient times. It is a multifactorial disease that develops under the influence of many factors, which are divided into external and internal.

Psychiatrists say it is a serious disease affecting the brain of an adult or child, which characterized by regularly recurring attacks of motor disorders, sensory, mental and cognitive functions.

These symptoms occur due to excessive discharges of neutrons in the cerebral cortex. Sporadic attacks should not cause alarm, but the repeated call for a comprehensive examination and establish an accurate diagnosis.

types of diseases

Epilepsy classification was created only 30 years ago. And today it is used doctors to accurately diagnose.

Today there are 4 separate groups of epilepsy are classified according to epileptic seizures:

1. Local. Often these seizures is called partial. This group also includes idiopathic and symptomatic with individual species. Exhibit symptoms of this group at neutron activity in an outbreak.
2. Generalized. They are also idiopathic and symptomatic, and within them there are other subspecies: West syndrome, absence epilepsy. When these types of neutron activity beyond the initial of their localization.
3. Non-deterministic. These include convulsions, manifested in infancy and various syndromes. In this case, there is often the combination of generalized seizures and localization.
4. Other syndromes. These types of diseases can describe the convulsions that have occurred because of the toxic disorders, trauma and other conditions that provoke an attack. These include seizures that occurred on the root cause of or in connection with specific manifestations.

For idiopathic species include disease, the cause of which has not been clearly established. Most often, here played a role hereditary factor. To include symptomatic seizures, in which the root cause is well established, for example, during the examination documented violations inside the brain.

In rare cases, the experts diagnosed cryptogenic epilepsy. In this case, the cause could not be established, but the hereditary factor is completely excluded.

Stage and grade

Partial, local or focal seizures - a pathological process affecting one or several parts of the brain.

Partial seizures are:

1. Simple. Under these convulsions the patient remains conscious, but additional symptoms depends on which part of the brain impaired, for which it is responsible in the body. Simple seizures last about 2 minutes, manifest as an abrupt change of mood. There are slight twitching of limbs, a sense of deja vu, difficulty in understanding speech, nausea, malfunction of the heart.
2. Complex. These attacks affect a large part of the brain, so a person provoked a change of consciousness, and sometimes his loss. Duration of seizure an average of about 2 minutes. Among other symptoms: laid-back look, screams, crying, laughing for no reason, repetition of words, automatism in the actions. After an attack is often observed disorientation.

Generalizovanye seizures are 6 degrees:

1. Tonic. They got the name because of special effects we have muscle tone. Such attacks are straining muscles. In particular, the limbs and back. no loss of consciousness. They occur more frequently during sleep and do not last longer than 20 seconds. And if a person during such attacks should, it clearly falls.
2. Clonic. Rare. Characterized by rapid contraction and relaxation of muscles. A similar process provokes rhythmic movements of the person. Most often it occurs in the face, arm. Stop such movement will not work.
3. Tonic-clonic. There are a lot of all other attacks. Their duration of about 3 minutes if they last more than 5, then it is a signal that to call an ambulance. In such seizures have several phases: the first patient loses consciousness and falls, then comes the phase of convulsions. Also, a patient may experience excessive salivation, the patient may bite his tongue, all actions uncontrolled, skin turning blue.

   

4. Atonchieskie. The patient momentarily loses consciousness, lasting 15 seconds. There is a decline or nodding of the head, if a person is in a seated state.
5. Myoclonic. There is a rapid twitching of the various parts of the body, as if the body performs small jumps. You may receive a hiccup. Duration of seizures about two seconds.
6. Absence. Such attacks are more common in childhood. During which the child loses consciousness, stops abruptly, there are muscle twitching, his eyes blinking rapidly, creating jaw chewing movements. Such attacks can manifest itself many times during the day.

symptoms

Symptoms of epilepsy in adults depends on what kind of attack has happened, and in what period of the day.

Among the main symptoms highlight possible:

• changes in taste;
• change in sense of smell;
• visual phenomena;
• mental and emotional phenomena;
• stomach discomfort;
• change of pupils;
• hallucinations;
• loss of consciousness;
• uncontrolled muscle twitching;
• convulsions;
• fixation of sight;
• loss of motor activity;
• confusion.

Symptoms of epilepsy in adults without striking neurological manifestations can be easily missed. And only expressed cramps can become for others a confirmation of the diagnosis.

But there are still a few auras - signs by which one can easily determine that a person has begun an epileptic seizure:

• observed motor dysfunction;
• people can not coordinate their movements;
• speech becomes slurred;
• there is a feeling of suffocation;
• pounding heart;
• skin tone becomes painfully pale;
• numb limbs.

Causes of

Epilepsy in adults may be due to various reasons:

1. Injuries of the skull. There is a separation between the mechanical damage to the brain and the development of epilepsy as a disease.
2. Stroke. It stimulates blood flow disturbance in the brain, which eventually leads the organic changes in the tissues of the nervous system.
3. Infection. These include meningitis, encephalitis, and inflammation of the brain, such as an abscess.
4. Defects in the development of the fetus inside the mother. Head trauma during labor. Fetal brain hypoxia.
5. Parasitic diseases that hit the central nervous system: cysticercosis, aehinokokkoz.
6. In men aged epilepsy may start due to the low level of testosterone in the blood.
7. Neurodegenerative diseases that hit the central nervous system: Alzheimer's disease, Pick's disease, multiple sclerosis.
8. Diseases that provoke undesired exchange processes.
9. Mechanical damage to the nervous tissues of the brain.
10. Neoplasms of the brain.

Symptoms of epilepsy in adult and child may occur due to hereditary factors. This is when the family has relatives who are already suffering from this disease.

Diagnostics

If there was at least one sign of a brief epileptic seizure, it should undergo a full examination. Initially, the doctor collects history: information about the beginning and duration of the attack, is there a loss of consciousness as there are cramps, whether there is a genetic predisposition. After that, the patient is sent for additional investigation.

The most informative method in the diagnosis of epilepsy is considered the EEG (electroencephalogram). This method is safe and painless. It is conducted in order to determine whether a person has epileptic activity in the brain.

The method consists in the fact that at the head of a man wearing a special mesh cap, which is connected to the electrodes. For 20 minutes the expert reads the electrodes for electrical impulses in the brain. During recording to be manipulated: the patient opens and closes his eyes, he is forced to breathe deeply and often include loud sound.

Such samples cause the brain to react, allowing to identify abnormalities and diagnose. If the study proved uninformative, it can be repeated, but only after a person forced to stay awake during the day. Also, EEG can spend during sleep. diagnostic value of 1000 rubles.

Additionally, wires and other methods:

MRI	With it, all the rest is much more efficient and provides an accurate diagnosis. It helps to evaluate the distribution of brain fluid, to determine which of the departments provokes attacks and some need more biological substances, and in what they are sufficient. This technique will accurately adjust treatment. Cost Survey of 4000 rubles.
Video-EEG monitoring	Use it regularly to adjust the treatment process. It can be used to fix the brain activity at different times. Conduct video all clinical manifestations of the disease at the same time. With continuous data recording you can follow the patient's condition at the time of the attack, and in its other state. This study will cost 3500 rubles.

When to see a doctor

The first check-up - is the most important step in the diagnosis of disease. Should seek to epileptolog, which operates in tandem with the neurologist.

Need to consult as soon as a man for no reason lost consciousness, he observed muscle twitching, or it just freezes for a couple of minutes on the site. All these minor symptoms must make begin to worry about their health any.

It is better to prevent the disease by launching its timely treatment, than to treat an illness is already in the last stage.

prevention

Symptoms of epilepsy in adults can appear after suffering a brain injury or those who abuse alcohol.

Prevent the development of disease can be, if you follow these recommendations:

• to prevent the conjugal union with people whose relatives have suffered from epilepsy;
• Avoid stressful situations whenever possible;
• Genetic control during gestation;
• Timely treatment of infectious pathologies;
• exclude intoxication;
• observe a healthy lifestyle, revising diet and adding a sport;
• complete rejection of alcohol and smoking.

therapies

Epilepsy in adults treated only complex. To remove all the symptoms completely or make attacks as little as possible, you should choose the method and the scheme properly. Each patient should be an individual approach, because the causes that provoke different disease.

The main methods of treatment are:

1. Monotherapy. It provides for the treatment of only one of the drugs. Previous medication the doctor prescribed a complex, but this approach has a mass disadvantages: a large amount of undesirable manifestation lowering effect in the interaction of some agents.
2. The regularity of reception. The drug should be taken strictly at a certain time, no gaps should not be. With a sharp canceled can provoke status epilepticus.
3. The duration of therapy. It usually takes several years.
4. Individual approach to each client.
5. Compliance with medication type of epilepsy seizure.
6. Strict adherence to dosage, dosage adjustment.

Medications

In order to achieve good results in the treatment of epilepsy, it is important to choose the right dosage and course of treatment.

Depending on the symptoms of the disease drugs may belong to different groups:

1. anticonvulsant. These drugs help to relax the muscles. They are often prescribed to patients with tonic-clonic seizures and myoclonic epilepsy.
2. Tranquilizers. These medications help to relieve and suppress the excitability of the nervous system. They are effective only when the manifestation of small attacks. Take them with caution, since the beginning of therapy, they may provoke severe disease.
3. Sedatives. Not all epilepsy end without consequences. Often the patient before it starts or after it falls into a depression, it all annoying or it shows excessive aggression. To remove all of these symptoms without sedative drugs can not do.
4. Injections. They are prescribed to patients with affective disorders and twilight conditions. Good effect in this case give nootropics such as Aktovegin, Tserebrlizin.

Specialists are often prescribed to patients with epilepsy such drugs:

1. Carbamazepine. This drug is available in tablet form and comprises titled active component. And antiepileptic drugs have psychotropic effects. The operating principle of medicine is based on blockade of voltage-gated sodium channels, which helps to reduce the activity of neurons, which means that the number of epileptic seizures is reduced. Prescribers with mixed forms of seizures, partial and generalized. The initial dose of 100-200 mg to 2 times per day. The dose may be increased to 800 mg per day. The course selected individually. Not prescribed drug in atrioventricular block, acute porphyria, disturbance of blood flow, with active alcoholism, intolerance components, high intraocular pressure. Failure to comply with the recommendations triggers to malfunction of the nervous system, psycho-emotional disorders, heart malfunction. Pills in a pharmacy are made available for 100 rubles.
2. Ethosuximide. This is an antiepileptic drug has on the analgesic, anticonvulsant effect. Available drug in the form of capsules containing the active component of the same name. Thanks to it, after ingestion occurs motor inhibition of brain receptors, and increases the level of convulsive threshold. Also, this drug comes in the form of a suspension, which was recommended by the reception of children from birth. Take 2 capsules per day, the duration of treatment lasting. Babies amount of the suspension is calculated according to age: years to 2.5 ml and every year dosage is increased by 2 times. Do not take the medicine at a particular sensitivity to the components, failure of the kidneys and liver, diseases of the circulatory system. If you increase the dose without a doctor, then, as a consequence, a violation of the digestive system and nervous. The cost of capsules from 2000 rubles.
3. Phenytoin. This is another tool to help you cope with generalized and partial seizures of epilepsy. It is produced in the form of tablets, containing in its composition by the same basic substance. Is drug 2 tablets per day, but the dose may be increased up to 4. Children from birth to 5 years to recommend 1/4 tablets per day. One can not take the drug for diseases of the kidneys and the liver, heart malfunctions, leukopenia, allergic manifestations, porphyria. Among the side effects frequently observed allergy. Drug sold without prescription for 100 rubles.

That part of first-line drug treatment of epilepsy, there are also drugs and second line. These include: Luminal, Lamictal, Frizium, Seduxen.

Traditional methods

There are many effective recipe of traditional medicine to help cope with the attacks. But to really forget about the attacks, traditional methods have to be used for a long time, at least a year, and sometimes three. Before therapy is better to consult a doctor.

Good efficiency proved these recipes:

1. Decoction of lavender. It needs to take 1 hour. l. leaves and lavender flowers, pour 250 liters. water, boiled for 3 minutes. Leave on for half an hour infusion. Take in dinner and before bedtime on Article 1/4.
2. A decoction of the roots of the peony. 2 tablespoons Dry raw materials, previously ground, pour 4 tbsp. boiling water. Drink before each meal 1 tbsp. l.
3. Tincture of Arnica montana. 3 tbsp. l. flowers, pour 1 tbsp. alcohol and leave for 7 days. Drink 5 ml, diluted in 1 tbsp. water before eating.

Treatment decoction and tincture - this is not a complete therapy, but only addition to the traditional methods.

Other methods

During the treatment of epilepsy is important to follow the ketogenic diet. Often this food helps reduce the number of attacks. The essence of this technique in a low carb diet, the fat level should be high.

The composition of the ketogenic diet includes the following products:

• bacon;
• butter;
• heavy cream;
• mayonnaise;
• vegetable oil.

The diet used in the event that medication no results and patient resistance antikonvulsintam formed.

In the treatment of epilepsy surgery may be used:

• symptoms of the disease appeared in the background of structural lesions in the brain;
• attacks occur more frequently than 2 times per month, deteriorating mental capacity;
• there was resistance to receiving more than 4 drugs for epilepsy.

The main objective of the operation - to reduce the number of attacks and improve the patient's quality of life.

possible complications

If left untreated epilepsy, the complications can be more serious than it seems at first glance:

1. Status epilepticus. Repeated attacks for half an hour, the patient does not regain consciousness between them. Require resuscitation.
2. Fatal outcome. The sharp contraction of the diaphragm during the attack, disturbed gas exchange and increases hypoxia. Oxygen starvation leads to irreversible consequences, and as a result - death.
3. Injury. It can occur during a fall during an attack.

Symptoms of epilepsy even small adult or child should get worried. Just a quick diagnosis and staging, and comply with all recommendations of the doctor, to help avoid repeat attacks and complications.

Registration of the article: Vladimir the Great

Videos about epilepsy

Malyshev will talk about first aid in epileptic seizures: