Epilepsy is one of those disorders that, if left unattended, will become a silent killer. This disorder originates from the central nervous system when brain activity and function become abnormal due to a variety of conditions — the abnormality results in seizures and may present as unusual behavior, sensations, and sometimes loss of awareness and even memory.
According to a professional doctor in Dubai and other medical experts, there are a few causes of epilepsy. Some causes could be a stroke, brain infection, brain tumor, excessive alcohol consumption, drug abuse, or even a lack of oxygen during childbirth.
Epileptic seizures develop and follow three predictable stages. Starting with the prodromal and aura stage, the sufferer may detect a warning that a seizure is coming on. The next is the middle or ictal stage, and that is the seizure itself. The final stage or pro-ictal phase is the recovery stage. Although different for each person, seizures and their manifestations follow these three stages.
The temporary glitches in brain activity cause a wide range of bodily symptoms. The person experiencing epilepsy can face a variety of problems in life as it is a brain disorder that affects all the body’s functions. Seizures typically activate the sympathetic nervous system, increasing the heart rate and blood pressure, but a type of seizure called partial seizures activates the parasympathetic system that reduces the heart rate and blood flow.
How does Epilepsy Affect Your Body?
When your brain malfunctions, everyday life and routines are disrupted, here are a few effects of how epilepsy impacts the body.
1. Disorder in the Nervous System
Epilepsy is a nervous system disorder, and due to this disorder, your nervous system sends direct messages to and from the brain and spinal cord to the body’s activities. These direct messages create problems and cause disruptions in electrical activity, which leads to seizures. These seizures significantly impact both voluntary and involuntary functions of the nervous system. The resulting attacks also cause several other disorders like unconsciousness, excessive sweating, trouble breathing, irregular heartbeat, and heart palpitations.
2. Interruptions in Cardiovascular System
As seizures start in the body, they can cause several other disorders as well. The smooth and unhindered heart’s rhythm is greatly affected by continuous strokes. As the nervous system is significantly impacted by it, the human heart interrupts breathing or sometimes beats too slow or too fast.
This disorder is called arrhythmia. Moreover, medical experts also know that a disruption in heart rhythm has caused unexpected deaths due to seizures caused by epilepsy.
3. Malfunctioning Digestive System
Seizures happening in a person’s body due to epilepsy also result in problems for the digestive system as it causes several symptoms. Abdominal pain, indigestion, loss of bowel control, difficulty in breathing, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting are the commonly found symptoms of malfunctioning in the digestive system due to the effects of epilepsy.
4. Respiratory Disorders
Our nervous system regulates the body functions such as breathing and maintaining heart rate. But seizures can disrupt this system and cause breathing to stop temporarily. The increasing interruptions of breathing during seizures add to the effects of the seizure to decrease the oxygen levels even more and result in sudden death.
Living with Epilepsy - Recommendations
You might have countless questions in mind if you have epilepsy, and questions like those mentioned below are familiar:
- Will I have to take medicine for the rest of my life?
- Will I be able to continue work or study?
- Can I drive my vehicle?
- What effects will epilepsy have on my relationship?
- Can having a seizure make me die?
- How will I deal with the disorders in my character?
The doctors recommended a standardized process of controlling epilepsy with drug therapy, particularly with anticonvulsant medications is excellent. Nevertheless, before getting any over-the-counter medicines, it is pivotal to get yourself undermined by professional doctors for several factors such as frequency and severity of the seizures, age, overall health, and medical history. Moreover, in some cases, the treatment also includes medicines known as anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) and surgery to remove a small of the brain that’s causing the seizures. This is a process that helps control seizures.
Furthermore, neurologists and epileptologist will provide excellent services for patients in order to save them from all the hassle. Here’s how;
- Neurologists specialize in treating nervous system disorders, which particularly include the brain.
- The epileptologist is also a neurologist who has taken specialized training in treating epilepsy.
Your Feelings are Intensified!
When you are diagnosed with epilepsy, it is common for people to feel a huge range of emotions. They may flood forth, and you may feel depressed, angry, frustrated, negative, or just annoyed. You may dwell too much on your past and disconnect from planning your future, and it might lead you to procrastinate doing what you need to do.
The Final Takeaway!
Being a victim of epilepsy will never be easy, and it will thwart you with new challenges – sometimes, these challenges are so intolerable that you will think of giving up. But if you fight and overcome your greatest fear, life will begin to be rewarding and cheerful. You can avail of professional medical services at home for treating and dealing with epilepsy.
If you develop a positive attitude towards life, you will develop an attitude of sharing and discussing it with others. Tell others how you feel and what you do to fight the odds your life has been dealt. Doing so will fill you with positive energy, and thus you can make your everyday life happy.
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