Science

Genes, infections, alcoholism: where epilepsy comes from and how to avoid it

Epileptologist Kazennykh explained how to avoid epilepsy

Epilepsy occurs in almost one hundredth. What can cause it, is it always manifested by convulsive seizures, is it possible to cure epilepsy completely, how to help a person during an attack and is it worth trying to pin his tongue to his clothes, the head of the Center for Paroxysmal Conditions of the Research Institute of Mental Health of the Tomsk National Research Medical Center told Gazeta.Ru , MD, psychiatrist-epileptologist Tatiana Kazennykh.

 
How common is epilepsy in the general population?

It is one of the most common neurological diseases. According to WHO , about 4-10 people out of 1000 suffer from active epilepsy worldwide. Epilepsy has been known to mankind for a long time – the first evidence of it dates back to 4000 years. BC. The disease is a serious social problem, since the lack of information about epilepsy contributes to misunderstanding, fear of symptoms among others and discrimination of patients.

You are describing a classic tonic-clonic seizure. This is how many present the clinical manifestations of epilepsy. But in fact, there are about 30 types of seizures – these can be muscle spasms, and twitches, and non-convulsive seizures with clouding of consciousness. It can be fading, the so-called absences. They are most often found in children.

Moms often describe: “Oh, I have such a smart child – he freezes, thinks, withdraws into himself,” but in the end it turns out to be a manifestation of epilepsy.

A convulsive attack, of course, attracts the most attention, but other manifestations are not uncommon.

Epilepsy occurs in almost one hundredth. What can cause it, is it always manifested by convulsive seizures, is it possible to cure epilepsy completely, how to help a person during an attack and is it worth trying to pin his tongue to his clothes, the head of the Center for Paroxysmal Conditions of the Research Institute of Mental Health of the Tomsk National Research Medical Center told Gazeta.Ru , MD, psychiatrist-epileptologist Tatiana Kazennykh.

 
How common is epilepsy in the general population?

It is one of the most common neurological diseases. According to WHO , about 4-10 people out of 1000 suffer from active epilepsy worldwide. Epilepsy has been known to mankind for a long time – the first evidence of it dates back to 4000 years. BC. The disease is a serious social problem, since the lack of information about epilepsy contributes to misunderstanding, fear of symptoms among others and discrimination of patients.

– When people talk about epilepsy, they usually imagine a bright convulsive attack, when a person falls, loses consciousness. Is this its main manifestation?

You are describing a classic tonic-clonic seizure. This is how many present the clinical manifestations of epilepsy. But in fact, there are about 30 types of seizures – these can be muscle spasms, and twitches, and non-convulsive seizures with clouding of consciousness. It can be fading, the so-called absences. They are most often found in children.

Moms often describe: “Oh, I have such a smart child – he freezes, thinks, withdraws into himself,” but in the end it turns out to be a manifestation of epilepsy.

A convulsive attack, of course, attracts the most attention, but other manifestations are not uncommon.

Epilepsy occurs in almost one hundredth. What can cause it, is it always manifested by convulsive seizures, is it possible to cure epilepsy completely, how to help a person during an attack and is it worth trying to pin his tongue to his clothes, the head of the Center for Paroxysmal Conditions of the Research Institute of Mental Health of the Tomsk National Research Medical Center told Gazeta.Ru , MD, psychiatrist-epileptologist Tatiana Kazennykh.

 

It is one of the most common neurological diseases. According to WHO , about 4-10 people out of 1000 suffer from active epilepsy worldwide. Epilepsy has been known to mankind for a long time – the first evidence of it dates back to 4000 years. BC. The disease is a serious social problem, since the lack of information about epilepsy contributes to misunderstanding, fear of symptoms among others and discrimination of patients.

– When people talk about epilepsy, they usually imagine a bright convulsive attack, when a person falls, loses consciousness. Is this its main manifestation?

You are describing a classic tonic-clonic seizure. This is how many present the clinical manifestations of epilepsy. But in fact, there are about 30 types of seizures – these can be muscle spasms, and twitches, and non-convulsive seizures with clouding of consciousness. It can be fading, the so-called absences. They are most often found in children.

Moms often describe: “Oh, I have such a smart child – he freezes, thinks, withdraws into himself,” but in the end it turns out to be a manifestation of epilepsy.

A convulsive attack, of course, attracts the most attention, but other manifestations are not uncommon.

Epilepsy occurs in almost one hundredth. What can cause it, is it always manifested by convulsive seizures, is it possible to cure epilepsy completely, how to help a person during an attack and is it worth trying to pin his tongue to his clothes, the head of the Center for Paroxysmal Conditions of the Research Institute of Mental Health of the Tomsk National Research Medical Center told Gazeta.Ru , MD, psychiatrist-epileptologist Tatiana Kazennykh.

How common is epilepsy in the general population?

It is one of the most common neurological diseases. According to WHO , about 4-10 people out of 1000 suffer from active epilepsy worldwide. Epilepsy has been known to mankind for a long time – the first evidence of it dates back to 4000 years. BC. The disease is a serious social problem, since the lack of information about epilepsy contributes to misunderstanding, fear of symptoms among others and discrimination of patients.

You are describing a classic tonic-clonic seizure. This is how many present the clinical manifestations of epilepsy. But in fact, there are about 30 types of seizures – these can be muscle spasms, and twitches, and non-convulsive seizures with clouding of consciousness. It can be fading, the so-called absences. They are most often found in children.

Moms often describe: “Oh, I have such a smart child – he freezes, thinks, withdraws into himself,” but in the end it turns out to be a manifestation of epilepsy.

A convulsive attack, of course, attracts the most attention, but other manifestations are not uncommon.

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