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Can Epilepsy Be Completely Cured?

Epilepsy is a chronic complaint that causes seizure attacks repeatedly and suddenly. The reason behind such activity is due to the rush of electrical impulse produced in the brain. Epilepsy has two important categories – generalized seizure and focal seizure. The generalized seizure is the attack where the sudden rush of electrical activity is throughout the brain. In the focal seizure attack, only a specific part of the brain experiences the rush of impulse.

Identifying a mild seizure attack is always a difficult task. In such cases, the individual lacks awareness, and the entire episode remains only for a few seconds. On the contrary, severe seizures have spasms and rigid muscular twitches, and the event can last from a few seconds to more than 5 minutes. When the attack is greater than 5 minutes, the individual enters into unconsciousness state, the body shows jerking movements, and fluid starts to flow from the mouth. In the post-recovery period, the person experiences weakness and headache. He or she shows no sign of the memory related to the episode and remains in the confused state.

Can Epilepsy Be Completely Cured?

Although epilepsy has two different categories, the severity of the symptoms differs from one individual to another. Regardless, the crucial symptoms include:

  1. Alteration to taste, sight, hearing, smell, and touch senses
  2. Dizziness
  3. Twitching of limbs
  4. Performing repetitive movements
  5. Staring blankly
  6. Unresponsiveness
  7. Short loss of awareness
  8. Muscle stiffness
  9. Loss of muscle control makes the person fall suddenly
  10. Jerky movements of muscles present in the arms, face, and neck
  11. Loss of bladder control
  12. Biting the tongue

The Triggering Factors for Epilepsy

The following are the common factors reported by most of the people that play as a triggering point for a seizure attack:

  1. Lack of sleep
  2. Brain tumor
  3. Injury to head
  4. Stress
  5. Alcohol
  6. Sudden retrieval of treatment or change in medicine
  7. Overeating
  8. Allergy to specific food ingredients

Can Epilepsy Be Completely Cured?

The cure for epilepsy is not available but the seizures can be controlled. It is always difficult for a neurologist to identify the triggering factors. Nonetheless, with the help of EEG, the symptoms expressed by the individual, and medical history will provide the answer for the triggering factor. Based on this, the neurologist will present a carefully chosen anticonvulsant drug to make sure that it provides relief and cures the individual. Selecting the anticonvulsants drug is of high priority, as a few medicines are capable of disturbing the sleep pattern. They, in turn, will increase the fluctuation in the brain electrical activity, making it a bit difficult for the doctor to find out the cure.

In such cases, they will alter the medication and keep a record of the output. Depending on the improvement, the doctor will ask the individual to continue with the medication for a certain period. At the next consultation, the patient will report the changes, which helps the doctor to understand whether the anticonvulsant drug provided is working in the right pattern. Depending on the experiences, the doctor decides to choose the dosage level and the period of usage for which the user should use the drug.

Apart from the medication alone, it is further crucial for the patient to make changes to the lifestyle and diet habits. Sleeping pattern is a major role player in reducing the rush of electrical impulses in the brain. By providing the needed rest of the brain, the individual can keep away from misfiring caused in the brain. At the same time, it is also necessary to keep calm and away from stress by participating in yoga or meditation.

References:

  1. Fisher RS, Acevedo C, Arzimanoglou A, et al. ILAE official report: a practical clinical definition of epilepsy. Epilepsia. 2014 Apr;55(4):475-82. doi: 10.1111/epi.12550. Epub 2014 Mar 17. PMID: 24730690.
  2. Vingerhoets G. Cognitive effects of seizures. Seizure. 2006 Nov;15(8):221-6. doi: 10.1016/j.seizure.2006.04.006. Epub 2006 May 31. PMID: 16737889.
  3. Hirtz D, Thurman DJ, Gwinn-Hardy K, Mohamed M, Chaudhuri AR, Zalutsky R. How common are the “common” neurologic disorders? Neurology. 2007 Jan 30;68(5):326-37. doi: 10.1212/01.wnl.0000252807.38124.a3. PMID: 17261680.
  4. Chen Z, Brodie MJ, Liew D, Kwan P. Treatment outcomes in patients with newly diagnosed epilepsy treated with established and new antiepileptic drugs: a 30-year longitudinal cohort study. JAMA Neurol. 2018 May 1;75(5):279-286. doi: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2017.3949. PMID: 29459980.
  5. Fisher RS, Cross JH, French JA, et al. Operational classification of seizure types by the International League Against Epilepsy: Position Paper of the ILAE Commission for Classification and Terminology. Epilepsia Open. 2017;2(1):1-9. doi:10.1002/epi4.12098

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Team PainAssist
Team PainAssist
Written, Edited or Reviewed By: Team PainAssist, Pain Assist Inc. This article does not provide medical advice. See disclaimer
Last Modified On:August 7, 2023

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