Epilepsy and developmental delay are not a death sentence: how to help your child cope with the disease

Sudden death is more than 20 times more common in patients with epilepsy than in the general population

Cardiac indicators will help determine the risk of sudden death in epilepsy. 12/7/2014 Innovative findings describing the link between cardiac abnormalities and sudden death in epilepsy are the subject of new research. Sudden death is more than 20 times more common in patients with epilepsy than in the general population. Abnormalities in cardiac and respiratory function are thought to play a fundamental role in sudden death syndrome in epilepsy . Several studies have examined the underlying mechanisms and risk factors in affected individuals.

✔️ Is it possible to die from alcoholic epilepsy? – AlcoZdrav – alcoholism treatment center

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Epilepsy is a serious neurological disease that not only complicates a person’s life, but is also deadly. The attack is accompanied by convulsions and can be fatal.

In our article we will talk about how an epileptic seizure begins, what causes the development of the disease, as well as first aid, and why it is so important to start timely treatment?

Causes of alcoholic epilepsy

Ethyl alcohol is the strongest poison for the human body. Once in the blood, the toxic substance spreads throughout the body, having free access to the internal organs, including the brain.

Regular drinking of alcohol provokes not only the death of neurons, but also neurological diseases.

With alcoholism, focal (alcoholic) epilepsy develops, which occurs when alcohol interacts with cells of the cerebral cortex.

Causes accompanying epilepsy in addicts:

• Poor quality of alcohol.
• Genetic predisposition.
• Brain injuries.
• Infectious diseases such as encephalitis, meningitis.

For an epileptic seizure to occur, it is enough to abuse alcohol periodically.

How to recognize the onset of a seizure

Epilepsy, which developed against the background of alcoholism, provokes a change in human behavior. The addict experiences nervous overexcitation, outbursts of rage, sleep disturbances, and nervousness.

An epileptic seizure has similar features to a traditional seizure:

• loss of consciousness;
• pale skin;
• rolled eyes;
• foaming from the mouth;
• vomit.

At the time of a seizure, a person loses control of movements. The patient begins to bend in unnatural positions and throw back his head. With the sudden onset of an epileptic attack, alcoholics are likely to injure themselves; they can bite and even swallow their own tongue.

When the seizure ends, the person usually falls asleep exhausted. It happens that the patient sees hallucinations and nightmares. These nuances distinguish an alcoholic epileptic seizure from a traditional one.

Diagnostics

There are no tests that can detect the development of an epileptic seizure specifically due to alcohol. Therefore, the doctor conducts diagnostics, studies test results, collects anamnesis, on the basis of which a diagnosis is made.

It is impossible to determine what exactly triggered the onset of the seizure. The specialist determines the degree of development of epifoci in the brain and the severity of the condition upon admission. Changes can be seen on the encephalogram.

In any case, if atypical neuronal activity is detected, a person must undergo comprehensive treatment.

First aid for alcoholic epilepsy

Seizures of alcoholic epilepsy cannot be controlled or stopped using external influences. The seizure lasts about 3 minutes. If the attack lasts longer or is replaced by one another, an ambulance should be called immediately. Protect the person so that he does not injure himself.

Make sure that the patient does not fall and hit his head. Lay the victim on the floor and place something soft under his head, remove heavy objects away. Don't hold back the cramps. Turn the person on their side to prevent the tongue from sticking in.

Place the towel in your mouth without letting your teeth squeeze too hard.

Consequences of alcoholic epilepsy

People who are prone to developing or already have epilepsy should not drink alcohol. Especially if the disease manifested itself after a brain injury. The presence of alcohol in the blood or withdrawal syndrome provokes attacks, which are aggravated by general intoxication of the body. Alcohol leads to severe atrophy of brain cells, triggering new sudden attacks of epilepsy.

Is it possible to die from an epileptic seizure? Yes. But the cause of death is the factors accompanying the seizure attack. To cure or minimize the amount, you must avoid drinking alcohol.

If you don’t have the strength to give up alcohol on your own, contact. Call the 24-hour hotline and schedule a consultation.

Source: https://alcorehab.ru/mozhno-li-umeret-ot-alkogolnoj-epilepsii/

Is it possible to die from epilepsy?

The disease epilepsy is manifested by characteristic seizures, as a result of which the patient can be injured. For many people suffering from epilepsy, the most pressing question is whether it is fatal, is it possible to die from epilepsy?

We would like to immediately reassure you that epilepsy does not belong to the category of fatal diseases! Then where did the myths come from that the disease is fatal?

Epilepsy is a chronic disease of the central nervous system, in which foci of excitation appear in the cerebral cortex that can cause seizures.

According to statistics, the mortality rate among patients suffering from epilepsy is 1.5-3 higher compared to people who do not have this pathology. Particularly high mortality is observed in patients under 40 years of age and with severe disease.

If a patient's only type of seizure is absence, the mortality rate is almost the same as in the general population. The most common cause of death is the development of status epilepticus and generalized tonic-clonic seizures.

Mortality in this case reaches 10% of all deaths among patients suffering from epilepsy.

Men die from the disease more often than women; the mortality rate is higher when no more than 10 years have passed since diagnosis.

In addition, it has been noted that African Americans suffering from epilepsy die from it more often than people with white skin. Although this may be due to a higher percentage of infant mortality among representatives of the black race than among the white population.

Causes of death in epilepsy

The causes of death can be very diverse.

Death during the development of an epileptic attack can occur as a result of an accident. During a fall, a person may receive an injury incompatible with life, for example, falling on sharp objects, etc.

If the patient has very frequent attacks, he is put on a protective helmet to avoid head injury.

If an attack occurs in water, a person may drown, and drowning is possible not only while swimming in a pond, but also when taking a bath.

It is especially dangerous for a person’s health if he or she experiences several convulsive seizures in a row. There is a possibility of cerebral edema. Possible results include coma, respiratory arrest, cardiac arrest.

The patient's death can occur from vomit entering the respiratory tract. A person can simply choke on his own saliva.

True, such accidents occur more often among older people.

Although rare, a lethal effect in a patient can occur if there is intolerance to antiepileptic drugs.

In some patients, epilepsy can be caused by severe or rapidly progressing brain pathologies, such as tumors, injuries, cerebrovascular diseases, etc. And it is these, and not the attacks themselves, that can provoke the death of the patient.

As a result, the patient may develop respiratory arrest, cardiac arrest, or coma, which can be observed against the background of cerebral edema.

During attacks, saliva and vomit may enter the respiratory tract, resulting in the development of aspiration pneumonia, which can also cause the death of the patient. It develops especially often in older people.

Another cause of death among patients with epilepsy may be suicide.

According to statistics, their risk of suicide is 5 times higher, and if temporal lobe epilepsy or complex partial seizures are observed, then 25 times higher than in the general population.

Scientists believe that this is associated with mental disorders, including depression, which often accompanies epilepsy. Also common causes of suicide are:

• problems in personal life;
• physical illness;
• personality traits;
• severe stress;
• suicide attempts before diagnosis;
• severe course of epilepsy;
• frequent attacks;
• recently diagnosed.

Taking antiepileptic drugs that negatively affect mood and cognitive function, especially phenobarbital, also increases the risk of suicide.

While taking medications that have a positive effect on mental activity and improve mood, it reduces the likelihood of suicide.

The death of the patient may occur as a result of an epileptic attack provoked by drinking alcohol or withdrawal syndrome (after stopping their use after prolonged use in large doses).

The cause of this is currently unknown, but it is believed to be related to:

• with attacks of suffocation during an attack;
• with negative effects of antiepileptic drugs;
• with vegetative attacks that provoke heart damage and the release of endogenous opiates.

The diagnosis of sudden death syndrome in epilepsy (SUDEP) is made if:

• The patient suffered from an active form of epilepsy.
• The fatal outcome occurred unexpectedly, death occurred in just a few minutes.
• The patient died under normal living conditions or with light exertion.
• Death occurred in a state of relative health and was not associated with an attack of epilepsy.
• During the autopsy, no other medical reasons for the patient's death were found.

But with the development of an epileptic attack in the near future, it also does not exclude the diagnosis of SUDEP, in the case where the death did not occur directly during an attack of the disease.

To reduce the risk of a poor prognosis for the development of epilepsy, you need to take antiepileptic drugs, stop drinking alcohol, avoid stressful situations, get enough sleep, and stop driving a car and working at heights and with dangerous equipment.

In custody

The most important thing is not to be afraid of illness! Death in epilepsy is very rare. Before an attack, a person feels a special aura, so it is possible to predict it. This means you should take measures in advance to avoid injury during an attack.

Source: https://jepilepsija.ru/epilepsiya/48-mozhno-li-umeret-ot-epilepsii

Causes of death

Falls, burns, accidents, other injuries, aspiration pneumonia, drowning, irreversible brain changes, status epilepticus, suicide

- this is why people die from epilepsy before they reach the age expected by doctors and genetics. Drugs often prescribed to treat epilepsy can also cause death by causing serious allergic reactions, or causing obesity and increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Causes of death from epilepsy during an attack:

• falls and injuries;
• head injuries;
• subdural hematoma;
• soft tissue injuries;
• burns;
• orthopedic diseases caused by bruises (compression fracture of the spine, dislocation of the shoulder joint);
• aspiration pneumonia;
• car crashes.

Other causes of death associated with epilepsy:

• anoxic encephalopathy (complete cessation of brain activity for some time due to cell death provoked by hypoxia);
• CNS infections causing epilepsy;
• stroke;
• exacerbation of multiple sclerosis or other autoimmune disease;
• cardiovascular diseases that were provoked or intensified by anticonvulsants;
• other common side effects of antiepileptic drugs (hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia (impaired blood lipid ratio, fraught with acute vascular, including intracerebral, accidents), sleep apnea);
• consequences of surgical treatment of epilepsy;
• metabolic or neurodegenerative diseases;
• sudden death syndrome in epilepsy.

A negative and in rare cases fatal prognosis is possible due to some factors caused by the disease:

• misunderstanding and discrimination;
• problems in school and at work;
• unemployment or inability to provide for oneself/family due to underemployment;
• osteoporosis caused by epilepsy medications;
• progressive cognitive deficits, including decreased memory, concentration and impairment of executive functions (planning);
• psychiatric problems (depression, anxiety disorder, attention deficit disorder);
• progressive brain atrophy.

The listed disorders are observed in a minority of patients with epilepsy. They usually occur in patients with extensive treatment experience, which is not always successful.

Let's take a closer look at some of the causes of death from epilepsy.

What to do to avoid injury and death from an epileptic attack?

Anyone nearby must:

• remove all sharp and heavy objects from the place where the seizure began, or quickly move the patient to a safe place;
• put a pillow under your head;
• turn the person on his side to prevent asphyxia;
• observe the patient until he regains consciousness, then it is advisable to stay for a while longer (there may be a second attack);
• behave calmly, do not show horror or bewilderment.

Here's what you shouldn't do:

• forcibly restrain a person's movements;
• put anything in his mouth;
• move in the midst of an attack;
• offer food or drink until complete recovery;
• try to bring the patient to his senses (he will not come, but he may be injured or hurt others).

A condition when a seizure or a series of several seizures lasts more than 30 minutes, and the patient does not regain consciousness, is called status epilepticus. This is life-threatening. According to several foreign studies, more than 1/7 of all deaths from epilepsy are caused by status epilepticus. The risk is high for children and people over 60 years of age.

If a person diagnosed with epilepsy dies unexpectedly and the autopsy does not reveal the exact cause of death, the case is called sudden death syndrome in epilepsy. Sudden death is more common in people who suffer from tonic-clonic seizures, but the full list of factors has not been established. It is believed that epilepsy can cause changes in the brain, thereby causing cardiac and respiratory arrest.

Both death during sleep and unexpected death from epilepsy cannot be predicted by doctors, but the risks vary for different people. If you have epilepsy, you have a 1:1000 chance of dying suddenly. According to statistics, sudden death syndrome accounts for 1 in 25 cases of early death associated with epilepsy.

Here are the factors that increase this likelihood:

• frequent tonic-clonic seizures, especially during sleep;
• dependence on alcohol or drugs;
• injury sustained during a seizure;
• depression.

If you have absence seizures and myoclonic seizures, you are still at risk. If attacks occur extremely rarely, then the risk of death is minimal, but it is present.

How not to die from epilepsy?

Following safety measures will help reduce the likelihood of sudden death:

• take epilepsy pills as prescribed, do not violate the treatment regimen or change it without consulting a doctor you trust;
• try not to sleep on your stomach (this slightly increases the risk of death from hypoxia);
• keep a diary of attacks (will help doctors choose the best treatment option);
• avoid situations that can trigger seizures (skipping medications, lack of sleep, stress, large amounts of alcohol and psychoactive substances);
• Tell people around you about your diagnosis and current condition, and let them know how to help if a seizure occurs.

Popular myths about epilepsy: truth and fiction

Epilepsy is a neurological disease characterized by the sudden onset of seizures. The pathological process can develop as a result of a head injury caused by a fall or in the presence of various brain disorders.

There are many misconceptions regarding this disease, i.e. myths.

Myth 1: when we say epilepsy we mean dementia

Most epileptics do not show signs of decreased intelligence. In the intervals between attacks, these people are no different from others. Many epileptics achieve professional success in various fields of activity. Throughout history there have been many scientists, politicians, writers and other people who suffered from this disease.

Restrictions on various activities (driving, cycling, swimming, etc.) are imposed on patients to prevent accidents, and not due to lack of intelligence.

Dementia or other psychological abnormalities may coexist with epilepsy. Some medications given to patients to treat mental retardation can cause seizures. This side effect often occurs due to incorrect dosage, but there may be other factors.

Epilepsy attacks in people with intellectual disability most often occur as a result of severe brain damage, which provoked dementia.

Myth 2: epilepsy is not dangerous, people don’t die from it

Increased electrical activity and convulsive readiness of the brain can be observed in a person between epileptic seizures. Foci of pathological arousal negatively affect memory, attention, mood, etc.

In a child, the disease can cause developmental delays.

Seizures in children and adults, which occur at any time and are accompanied by unconsciousness, loss of control over the process of bowel movement and other symptoms, have a negative impact on self-esteem. A person may live in constant fear that they will have a seizure. When you spend most of your time in a stressful state, the risk of seizures and the development of other diseases increases.

Some patients diagnosed with epilepsy are often depressed and suicidal.

Is it possible to die from epilepsy?

Epilepsy is a dangerous disease that can cause death. It is difficult to predict when an attack will occur. When seizures develop and a person is unconscious, he or she is at risk of suffering life-threatening injury.

You can die from epilepsy due to the presence of concomitant cardiovascular diseases. During an attack, the breathing process is disrupted. The heart rhythm may become irregular. If several attacks occur in a row, the likelihood of dangerous consequences increases.

Oxygen starvation, which the body experiences during convulsions, leads to disruption of metabolic processes in the brain, and can also provoke swelling. Death can occur during an attack due to vomit or saliva entering the patient's respiratory tract. Aspiration pneumonia can also lead to the death of the patient.

Myth 3: Epilepsy is a mental illness

For a long time it was believed that epilepsy was a psychological illness, but this statement has been refuted.

Epileptic seizures occur as a result of pathological paroxysmal activity of neurons in the cerebral cortex. Their causes are physiological in origin, not mental.

Therefore, epilepsy is a neurological disease that should be treated by neurologists and neuropathologists.

It is possible that epilepsy is accompanied by some kind of psychological disorder. In most cases, clinical mental retardation and behavioral disorders arise due to an underlying organic disease of the brain, and are not caused by neurological pathology.

Myth 4: epilepsy is necessarily inherited

Neurological disease can be inherited. More often this happens through the male line and through generations.

The probability of developing epilepsy in a child whose parents suffer from epilepsy is 8%. In addition, not all forms of the disease are hereditary.

But if the pathology is inherited by a child, this does not mean that he will have seizures or other forms of manifestation of the disease. In addition, the pathology may never manifest itself or may develop in the event of a head injury.

Myth 5: an epileptic attack provokes emotional tension, stress

A stressful state, provoked by a family scandal or internal anxiety before taking exams, can cause an epileptic seizure, but not always.

There are other factors that can cause an attack:

• intoxication of the body;
• alcoholic drinks;
• drug use;
• irritants accompanied by frequent flickering of light (TV shows, computer games, light shows, etc.);
• deep, rapid breathing (hyperventilation);
• sleep disturbance;
• decreased blood glucose levels;
• change of time zones, etc.

Medications or physiotherapeutic procedures can trigger an epileptic seizure. In some patients, attacks are triggered by only one stimulus, such as a melody or a voice.

Myth 6: Epilepsy is always accompanied by seizures

Epilepsy is not always accompanied by spontaneous contraction of the body muscles, foam at the mouth, loss of consciousness and other symptoms.

There are more than 40 forms of this disease. Some of them manifest themselves as petit epileptic seizures, which is not always noticeable to an outsider.

Absence seizures are more common in children and adolescents. During the attack, the patient can continue to do the work he was doing before the attack.

He does not always lose consciousness and is able to talk, but he loses contact with reality.

During a minor epileptic seizure, the patient appears with a detached look. Despite the ability to speak, the patient does not give a logical answer to the question asked. There may be a slight tremor of the hands, trembling of the eyelids, tilting of the head, etc. The duration of the seizure is several seconds. For this reason, such absence seizures often go unnoticed by others.

During an attack, the patient may experience unusual sensations (gustatory, auditory, somatosensory and visual).

Epilepsy can occur unnoticed by a person if it is characterized by absence seizures during night rest, i.e. sleep.

Myth 7: Epilepsy is a disease of adults

It is a mistake to believe that neurological disease occurs only in adult patients. Pathology has no age restrictions. In 70% of cases, epilepsy is diagnosed in early childhood. The cause of its occurrence may be a violation of intrauterine development. Fetal hypoxia or birth trauma can affect the health of the child. Newborn babies may have epilepsy.

A predisposition to this pathology may not manifest itself for a long time. For this reason, some patients experience their first seizures during adolescence.

In elderly patients, epilepsy is a common consequence of cerebral hemorrhage caused by an acute circulatory disorder. In addition to stroke, there are other aging diseases that can cause pathological activity of neurons in the cerebral cortex.

Myth 8: Epilepsy is incurable

A neurological disease may be incurable when its cause is, for example, an inoperable tumor. In 70% of cases, provided that the diagnosis is correctly established and treatment is selected accordingly, the pathological process can be eliminated.

Antiepileptic drugs are prescribed for therapy. With their help, it is possible to reduce the number of seizures or get rid of them completely. Treatment of neurological pathology is a long process. To prevent attacks, some patients are forced to take such medications for life.

In most cases, patients are recommended monotherapy, which involves the use of one drug. But, if the patient is diagnosed with a resistant form of the disease, i.e. difficult to treat, several antiepileptic drugs may be prescribed.

The quality of treatment is influenced not only by the correctly selected drug, but also by its dosage. If you do not follow your doctor's recommendations, the effect of treatment will be minimal or completely absent. If you fail to take the recommended amount of medication, most often with an overdose, there is a risk of deterioration in your health.

As a treatment, the patient may be offered surgery. But such an event is accompanied by a high risk for the patient. It is also possible that the attacks will remain after surgery. There is a risk of irreversible damage to brain structures.

Source: https://mozgmozg.com/bolezni/mify-ob-epilepsii

How to dock at home

If a child has epilepsy, the doctor must prescribe antiepileptic drugs, which must be given to him according to the established schedule.

The following folk remedies may be useful:

1. Infusion of medicinal valerian roots : 10 grams of dried root should be crushed, pour a glass of cold water, and let it brew for six hours. After straining, consume 1-2 teaspoons three times a day.
2. Infusion of oregano . To prepare, you need to pour 8 grams of dried raw materials into a glass of boiling water, leave to brew for 45 minutes, then strain, drink a third of a glass three times a day before meals.
3. Infusion of motherwort pentaloba . Pour a tablespoon of chopped dried herb into a glass of cold water and let it brew for six hours. Take a tablespoon four times a day before meals.

The attack usually passes in 2-3 minutes.

Until the condition is completely normalized and all symptoms have gone away, food, drink and medicine should not be given.

If the baby’s temperature rises afterwards, it must be brought down with an age-appropriate drug.