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Childhood epilepsy

Childhood epilepsy

Childhood epilepsy is a condition where children are susceptible for having increased electrical discharges in the brain. Like any other disease of chronic nature like diabetes asthma etc  epilepsy is a chronic illness with a wide spectrum of severity. Some children are more seriously affected whereas a large number of children have a mild illness that is easily treated with medication and a significant number of them grow out of the problem. 

Unfortunatel In our society there is a lot of stigma attached to the diagnosis of epilepsy. This is primarily due to the lack of  awareness. The fear associated with this can be ameliorated through education and spreading awareness about the condition.  A lot of childhood epilepsy syndromes are benign in nature and children grow out of this disorder with time unlike some other chronic illness like type 1 diabetes which is a life long problem. Equally there are some epilepsies that last a life time and are very difficult to treat and associated with other problems . But it will be unfair to group all children with a diagnosis of epilepsy under the same umbrella. 


Why’s does epilepsy happen ? 


There can be various reasons why children develop epilepsy. Some of them may be due to  genetic causes where the cells in the brain have an increased tendency to spontaneously  generate excessive amount of electricity .At other times the brain or part of the brain may have developed differently resulting in an increased tendency for producing excessive electric  discharges .  At other times the Childs normal brain may acquire an abnormality in the form of an infection , Bleed, stroke or inflammation with subsequent scarring which may lead to increased propensity for having seizures. 


 In all the  The above scenarios that child may present with symptoms of seizures. This may manifest in different ways depending on where the symptoms arise from the brain.For example if the seizures at arose from the part of the brain that control hand moment this would result in jerking off the hand or weakness of the hand or if it was from the part of the brain that control eye movement  it may result in they eye turning to one side. Sometimes this is associated with loss of awareness and at times with loss of consciousness. This can result in injuries and may be associated with the child passing urine or opening the bowels. 


How is Epilepsy diagnosed? 


Unlike other medical conditions there is no 1 test that diagnoses epilepsy in a child . The doctors rely heavily on the information provided by the carers. It is vital that a clear description of the events are obtained from the beginning to the end ina sequential manner . Often witnesses are terrified by the events and are not able to recollect vividly the sequence of events. In this day and age videos are thus a very valuable tool for capturing this information. Teachers and friends can play a significant role in providing accurate information. 

Their investigation including scans of the brain( looking at the structure of the brain) and EEG ( monitoring electrical activity of the brain ) can provide very useful information . Doctors will put all of these information together to try and solve the puzzle . 


Are there other conditions that look like seizures? 


Yes a lot of other childhood conditions  may give the impression of the child having seizures . This may range from simple faint like episodes to serious heart conditions. It is important that the right diagnosis is made. 


How do we treat it ? 


 The mainstay of treatment is medications  .  Some children may not respond to medications and may need other types of treatment which include diet and surgery. The diet that is used it’s called ketogenic diet. Here the brain uses an alternative fuel called ketone bodies. In some children when there is a structural abnormality of the brain that is responsible for the seizures, removing that abnormality could cure the seizures . This is only considered after extensive evaluation considering the benefits and risks  associated with the surgical option.



Do children with epilepsy have other problems?


Often epilepsy is only a symptom of an underlying difference in the brains structure or function of that individual . Depending on what the underlying problem is children may have other difficulties including those with attention behaviour more regulation learning social interaction etc.. but not all children have all of these difficulties. If they have concerns around the above difficulties assessments may need to be done to verify this and manage it appropriately . 



Where can I look for more information that is reliable?


In the current digital world carers may come across a deluge of information, some of which may may not be  accurate . This may misinform carers and cause  considerable anxiety . It is important to know reliable websites to overcome this problem. Sites like Indian epilepsy society (www.epilepsyindia.org), epilepsy action (www.epilepsy.org.uk), young epilepsy (www.youngepilepsy.org.uk)provide a lot of useful information . 

 

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