12 common misunderstandings about epilepsy

Epilepsy is a chronic disease caused by an abnormality in the brain that results in the sudden excessive discharge of a group of nerve cells. Epilepsy is very common, but many people still do not understand this disease.

Assoc. Prof. TS.BS Nguyen Van Lieu, Head of Neurology Department, Tam Anh General Hospital in Hanoi, points out 12 common myths about epilepsy below.

Does having a seizure mean having epilepsy?

A person is diagnosed with epilepsy only when two or more unexplained (unusual) seizures occur more than 24 hours apart, or when there is only one seizure but there is a high risk of recurrence of the same seizure. follow high. In case a seizure is caused by a specific factor, such as a neurological infection, medication, low blood sugar, etc., it is not considered epilepsy because usually the seizure will not recur. occurs when the above factors are completely treated.

Do people with epilepsy have mental disorders?

Epilepsy is a general term that includes many different types, which can manifest as tonic-clonic seizures, sensory disturbances, psycho-behavioral disturbances during the seizure….with or without accompanying epileptic seizures. structural brain damage. However, in addition to the seizure, most patients are awake and the symptoms during the seizure will go away. Therefore, epilepsy is not a mental illness as many people mistakenly believe.

Are people with epilepsy not as smart as the average person?

Epilepsy, if diagnosed and treated promptly, will have little or no impact on the patient’s ability to think, except in some special seizures that cause language and intellectual impairment. or prolonged without stopping the attack. At that time, along with the side effects of some antiepileptic drugs when used for a long time, the patient may exhibit memory and thinking impairment. However, most people with epilepsy are no less intelligent than people without the disease.

People with epilepsy can’t handle stressful work?

People with epilepsy, if diagnosed, treated promptly and controlled their seizures, they can still do most jobs from business, civil servants, law, sports to medicine. However. Epilepsy patients should also avoid stress at work as well as in life to reduce the risk of seizure recurrence.

When an impending seizure can be easily recognized?

It is still not possible to predict when seizures will begin. Some patients may experience a brief sensation for a few seconds before the seizure occurs, however, this is not very obvious and is of only suggestive value in localizing the epileptic foci. Scientists continue to study the warning signs of a seizure.

Painful epilepsy?

A person is unconscious and painless during most seizures. Instead, the patient only experiences pain from falling to the floor or pain from biting the tongue (during a major seizure).

What is the most common epilepsy in children?

Epilepsy is common in both children and the elderly. However, the disease can also develop at other ages.

Should you put something in the mouth of a person having a seizure?

When a person is having a seizure, you should not put anything in their mouth as this can cause injury or the risk of swallowing or choking. Instead, to help someone with a seizure, you should roll them to one side, away from objects. If the seizure lasts longer than a few minutes or if danger signs appear, you should take the person to the hospital.

Unable to control epilepsy effectively

There are many ways to treat, reduce, control and even, under the right conditions, cure epilepsy. Taking antiepileptic drugs can control seizures in nearly 70% of patients. The remaining 30% can be treated with surgery, this depends on where the epilepsy originates in the brain.

Women with epilepsy cannot or should not become pregnant

Epilepsy generally does not affect a woman’s ability to conceive, but has a small effect on fetal development. But the most serious problem is that taking antiepileptic drugs can cause a 2-10% risk of birth defects. Therefore, women with epilepsy who are being treated with antiepileptic drugs should consider this carefully when planning a pregnancy. It is best to consult an obstetrician and neurologist for a solution that is right for your condition.

If parents have epilepsy, their children will also get it

Children whose parents have epilepsy have a higher risk of developing the condition than children who don’t have epilepsy parents. However, the prevalence of epilepsy is very low. This means that not everyone with epilepsy will have their children with it. A single gene problem rarely causes epilepsy. Epilepsy is often associated with a combination of multiple genetic defects.

Nguyen Phuong