EPILEPSY OR FITS (As laymen say )
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Seizure is a sudden change in behavior that is the consequence of brain dysfunction.
Approximately 0.5–1% of population has epilepsy.
ome seizures are provoked i.e. that occur in the metabolic derangement, drug or alcohol withdrawal and in situations like acute paralysis or acute encephalitis. Such patients are not considered to have epilepsy because these seizures would not recur in the absence of the provocation.
Less than 50% of epilepsy cases will have an identifiable cause such as head trauma, brain tumor, paralysis, infection, brain malformation etc.
Having one seizure does not always mean that the patient would always get a seizure.
One episode of seizure may not require treatment.
Hospitalization is required in the first seizure only if it is associated with prolonged post seizure altered level of consciousness.
Patients with unprovoked seizure may not be allowed to drive for some time.
In children, seizure can occur with high grade fever.
In adults, the first episode of seizure may be due to worms in the brain. In such a situation, it may be necessary to do an MRI test.
A patient with seizure can get married, live a normal life and produce children.
It is a misnomer that during a fit you need to make the person smell a shoe.
During epilepsy, never put the fingers inside the mouth of the patient as you could be bitten. Use a spoon instead to prevent tongue bite.
A patient with epilepsy fall will have stiffness in the body; on the contrary, patient with cardiac loss of consciousness will fall loose.
A seizure that lasts for more than 5–10 minutes requires specialized attention.