Thursday, February 10, 2011

epilepsy causes and treatment

Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder which is not a single but a group of disorders and it is characterized by the frequent episodes of seizures. It occurs due to the abnormal electrical activity in the brain. Though epilepsy is a long term disorder, it may show up till a certain period of time or it may be with you till the end. Epilepsy is frequently seen in children, teens and the people over the age of 65. There are several types of epilepsy can be seen, each one them involves a certain part of the brain. The most common symptom of epilepsy, regardless of its type is frequent episodes of seizures which may occur at any time, making life miserable.


Epilepsy is not single disorder but it is group of disorders which is interlinked with each other. It is difficult to state any one exact cause for this order. As there various types of epilepsy present, the causes also differs for each of them. The common cause can be chronic illness, brain damage or abnormal changes in the brain. Still no cause can be found in almost in three quarters of the epilepsy cases. Following are some common causes that contribute into the disorder. Though the causes are several and can be linked to other conditions too.
1) Imbalance in Chemicals in the Brain - In brain, nerve cells makes chemicals which are known as neurotransmitters. These chemicals help the nerve cells to transmit electrical impulse in the brain. Epilepsy may occur due to imbalance in these chemicals.
2) Hereditary - You may have seen some families where epilepsy has been transfer from generation to generation. This happens because of the abnormality is a specific gene. Though heredity is not always the cause of epilepsy but contributes in the disorder.
3) Disorders - It includes brain tumor, Alzheimer's disease, stroke, heart attack etc contributes in the causes of epilepsy.
4) Head Injury - It is the most common cause of epilepsy.
5) Prenatal Injury - If the fetus get injured during the developmental stage of the brain or if the mother is not eating well or taking alcohol and smoking tobacco or get an infection may put the child at the risk of developing epilepsy.
6) Environmental Factors - The factors like constant exposure to lead, carbon monoxide and certain chemicals may cause epilepsy.

As I mentioned above, seizure is the most common and visible symptom of epilepsy. Though it differs as per the type of epilepsy the person is suffering from. Some common types of epilepsy symptoms are listed below.
1) Simple – Partial seizure: It is characterized by the movements like stiffening and jerking.
2) Atonic seizure: In this the body becomes loose and flexible and the person may fall on the ground.
3) Generalized seizures: It is the most common type of seizures and it may affect a part or the whole brain.
The symptoms may differ depend on the type of epilepsy present but in most of the individuals tend to show the same type of seizure symptoms. Very few individual shows up different symptoms of seizures.
Epilepsy treatment mainly involves management of seizures. It is the main goal and even doctors start the treatment to control seizures in patients. There are treatments available which include antiepilepsy drugs like Generic Topamax. There is surgical method also available which helps to control the seizure episodes. There are several medications available which are grouped under antiepilepsy drugs. Generic Topamax is the one which is use to treat epilepsy seizures. This is made up of Topiramate, a chemical part of the drug. Generic Topamax (Topiramate) is use alone or in combination with other antiepilepsy drugs. It is also use in the treatment of Lennox-Gastaut syndrome in children. Apart from this, Generic Topamax (Topiramate) is also use to treat migraine headaches. It is the widely use antiepilepsy drug which you can get at local pharmacy. You can also buy Generic Topamax at online drug store too.

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