College Essay On Epilepsy

505 Words3 Pages

Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a neurological disorder, with sudden recurrent episodes of sensory disturbance, loss of consciousness, or convulsions, it’s associated with abnormal electrical activity in the brain. It is characterized by epileptic seizures. Epileptic seizures are episodes that can range from short and undetectable to very long periods of vigorous shaking. When the episodes happen they can have major effects like physical injuries, occasionally broken bones. Seizures tend to happen often and have no immediate underlying cause. People with epilepsy in some areas of the world experience stigma due to the condition. It affects more than 3 million people in the U.S. according to the National Institutes of Health.

Diagnosing Epilepsy is a …show more content…

There is multiple treatment options available so that you can live a seizure free life. Its managed under the care of a Neurologist, a physician specializing in the Neurological conditions, or an Epileptologist, some medications are AEDs anti-epileptic drugs, to prevent seizures. According to the Cleveland Clinic, medications can control seizures in about 70% of patients. Some cases have been able to wean there self-off medication if they have been seizure free for a period of time. Epilepsy has a lot stigma attached to it, you may experience depression or even anxiety as a result. Antidepressants can be prescribed to offset psychosocial effects of having epilepsy. There is the option of surgery. Due to the risk involved with the surgery this is only offered to patients with one-to two- years of uncontrolled seizures. There must be some kind of identifiable source of the seizures. Only the ones with some type of partial epilepsy are candidates. The benefits must outweigh the risk that is involved. The surgery is a resection, or removal of the area that has the problem. When the area is removed it is said to be that it has been surgically cured. A different surgery can disconnect the communication pathways in a certain area from the rest of the brain, so that the irregular impulses cannot spread. This surgery happens when an area that is responsible for the seizures it too dangerous to