How to treat epilepsy

Epilepsy is a common neurological disease, which is mainly caused by severe mental stimulation of the patient, resulting in symptoms of neurological disorders. In order to cure the symptoms of epilepsy, it is necessary to understand the cause of the patient's illness and eliminate mental stimulation from the patient's life, so that the patient can slowly recover. Regarding the treatment of epilepsy, patients are advised to seek medical treatment in a timely manner to control the degree of emotional changes.

What is the cause of epilepsy? The epilepsy we are talking about here usually refers to epilepsy. The causes of epilepsy are mainly divided into congenital causes and acquired causes. Among the congenital causes, some are caused by genetics, some are caused by congenital diseases, and most of the acquired causes are caused by environmental stimulation. The common causes of epilepsy are mainly divided into the following parts:

1. Genetics

Heredity is a very important cause of epileptic seizures. The inheritance rate of epilepsy is relatively high. If there is a history of epilepsy in the family or the parents have a history of epilepsy, the probability of the next generation suffering from epilepsy is very high. To prevent hereditary epilepsy, it is mainly necessary to prohibit marriage between close relatives and to prohibit some epilepsy patients from having children.

2. Congenital diseases

Congenital diseases may also cause epilepsy, such as congenital brain malformations, chromosomal abnormalities, hereditary metabolic disorders, brain malformations and congenital hydrocephalus, which may all lead to epileptic seizures.

3. Acquired diseases causing epilepsy

Some diseases may also cause epileptic seizures. Cerebrovascular disease, brain tumors, and some nutritional and metabolic diseases can all trigger epileptic seizures.

4. Brain Trauma

The probability of trauma causing epilepsy is also relatively high. Many adult epilepsy patients suffer from epileptic seizures due to trauma. About 5% develop epilepsy after closed brain trauma; severe and open brain trauma have an even higher incidence of epilepsy, reaching about 30%.

5. Poisoning and infection

Poisoning and brain infection can also cause epilepsy. Lead, mercury, and carbon monoxide poisoning may cause brain damage and cause epilepsy. Diseases caused by various infections, such as various encephalitis, meningitis, and congestion in the acute stage of brain abscess, may cause epilepsy.

What are the treatments for epilepsy?

1. Drug treatment

1. Choose safe, effective, inexpensive and easily available drugs according to the type of epileptic seizure.

① For major seizures, use phenobarbital 90-300 mg/d. Sodium valproate 0.6-1.2/d, carbamazepine 600-1200mg/d, etc.

② Complex partial seizures: phenytoin sodium 0.2-0.6/d, carbamazepine 0.2-1.2/d.

③Absence seizure: clonazepam 5-25 mg/d, diazepam 7.5-40 mg/d.

④ Status epilepticus: Diazepam 10-20 mg/time intravenous injection is the first choice.

2. The drug dosage should start from the lower limit of the commonly used dose and gradually increase to the point where the seizure is ideally controlled without serious toxic side effects.

3. The frequency of dosing should be determined according to the characteristics of the drug and the characteristics of the attack.

4. Generally, the medication should not be changed or discontinued at will. The dosage can be gradually reduced and the medication can be stopped only after the epileptic seizures have been completely controlled for 2-3 years and the EEG is normal.

5. Drug concentration should be monitored regularly and the dosage should be adjusted appropriately.

2. Treatment of primary disease

For epilepsy with a clear cause, in addition to effectively controlling seizures, the primary disease should be actively treated.

3. Cerebellar incision or chronic cerebellar stimulation

For refractory epilepsy that is not responsive to drug therapy, stereotactic surgery to destroy the areas of the brain related to epileptic seizures, anterior corpus callosotomy or chronic cerebellar stimulation can be performed.

IV. Treatment of status epilepticus

1. Actively and effectively control convulsions:

① Stability,

Adults: 10-20 mg, children: 0.25-1 mg/kg, slowly intravenously inject until the convulsion stops. Subsequently, add 20-40 mg to glucose solution and drip intravenously at a rate of 10-20 mg per hour for 10-20 hours. The total daily amount should not exceed 120 mg.

②Amobarbital sodium

For adults, 0.5 g is dissolved in 10 ml of water for injection and slowly injected intravenously at a rate of 50-100 mg/min until the attack stops. Pay attention to changes in breathing and heartbeat during injection. After the seizures are controlled, anti-epileptic drugs should be continued through nasogastric feeding or by mouth.

2. Dealing with complications:

Keep the airway open, use diuretics and dehydration to reduce cerebral edema, correct acidosis, etc.