【Learning points】
- Epilepsy is a common chronic neurological disease caused by abnormal discharge of brain cells. It is mostly a sudden situation, causing involuntary twitching of the limbs. Possible causes of epilepsy include: brain tumors, brain infections, and cerebrovascular diseases. , brain trauma, systemic metabolic disorders.
- Epileptic seizure types can be divided into partial seizures and generalized seizures, and their manifestations are also different.
- When a patient has an epileptic seizure, we should first let the patient lie down, remove glasses, jewelry and dangerous items around him, record the type and time of the seizure, and do not forcefully open the mouth to insert foreign objects.
I.What is Epilepsy?
Epilepsy is a common chronic neurological disease caused by abnormal discharge of brain cells, mostly sudden, causing involuntary convulsions of limbs, impaired nerve function and dysfunction of daily life.
II.What causes epilepsy?
Caused by brain lesions, such as brain tumors, brain infections,
cerebrovascular diseases, brain trauma, brain tumor sequelae, or from systemic metabolic disorders, such as hypoglycemia, endocrine disorders, and hypoxia. Some epilepsy can not find the cause, it is classified as primary epileptic seizures.
III.Epilepsy symptoms
The symptoms of epilepsy vary according to the location of abnormal discharge, and can be divided into partial seizures and generalized seizures.
- Partial seizures
- Generalized Seizures
IV.Management of epilepsy
When an epileptic seizure occurs, do not forcefully put hard objects into the patient's mouth, do not forcefully suppress the patient's twitching limbs, and keep the patient in a safe environment.
- Do not do the following when you have a seizure:
- Do not deal with epilepsy in a superstitious way, such as convulsions, drinking amulet water, etc.
- Do not yell or exaggerate the condition, and do something that scares the patient, which will easily cause the patient to feel uneasy.
- After seizures stop
- Before the patient is conscious, do not give any drink or food to prevent the patient from choking or choking.
- When the seizure stops, please put the patient on his side so that the saliva and vomit in the mouth can be drained out.
V.Home Care Considerations
In order to prevent the recurrence of epilepsy, it is necessary to maintain good daily habits and take medicine on time. Instead of using an open flame when cooking, it is recommended to use a microwave instead.
In terms of home environment, it is recommended to reduce the height of the bed to the minimum, and lay floor mats around it to avoid falling injuries during epileptic seizures.
VI.Conclusion
Epilepsy often has significant physical, psychological and social impacts on patients, and the disease is often stigmatized, making it difficult for patients to become economically independent and reintegrate into society. It is recommended that epilepsy patients evaluate their professional and financial capabilities, find available resources, build self-confidence and actively seek opportunities to participate in work, so as not to lose touch with society and improve their quality of life.
VII. References
- Cengiz, O., Atalar, A., Tekin, B., Bebek, N., Baykan, B., & Gürses, C. (2019). Impact of seizure-related injuries on quality of life. Neurological Sciences, 40(3), 577-583. https://doi.org/10.1007/ s10072-018-3697-3
- Thijs, R.D., Surges, R., O'Brien, T. J., & Sander, J.W. (2019). Epilepsy in adults. Lancet, 393(10172), 689-701. https://doi.org/10.1016/ j.yebeh. 2013.05.012
- World Health Organization. (2019). Epilepsy. https:// www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs999/en