CNN Vital Signs shows different types and main causes of epilepsy

A epilepsy it is a temporary and reversible alteration of brain functioning marked by repeated seizures. Causes can be brain injuries, infections, alcohol abuse and drug use.

O CNN Vital Signs This week deals with the myths and truths about the condition with the participation of leading specialists in epilepsy from Brazil and Latin America, who explain what the disease is and what are the correct ways to provide assistance to a person who is going through a crisis.

O International Day of Epilepsy celebrated on the 2nd Monday of February, promotes awareness of the condition.

The replay of the program presented by the cardiologist Roberto Kalil airs this Saturday (11), at 19:15.

Historical context

Epilepsy brings a baggage of prejudices and stigmas involving social and psychological issues that go beyond medicine.

In the British Museum, London, there are Babylonian stones with the Code of Hammurabi and the legislation of the Babylonians. They contain the limitation for people with epilepsy, such as the restriction on marriage, already stipulated 4,000 years ago.

In Ancient Greece, the treatment was done with the blood of gladiators. The seizures of people with epilepsy caused fear and astonishment and, therefore, these people were taken to religious services and even hospitalized with dementia.

crises

The mistaken way of helping a person with a crisis still persists. “From 1 to 2% of the world’s population has epileptic seizures throughout their lives. In Brazil, more than 2 million people have epilepsy. It’s a public health issue,” says specialist Carlos Alberto Mantovani Guerreiro, a neurologist and professor at the State University of Campinas (Unicamp) with an emphasis on Epilepsy and Clinical Neurophysiology (see the interview above ).

Epilepsy is a term attributed to a set of diseases that lead to brain dysfunction and manifest with epileptic seizures, which are events associated with a malfunction of the brain.

There are seizures in which the dysfunction is located in a specific area of ​​the brain, the focal seizure. When this spreads to the brain as a whole, it is called a generalized seizure, like the chronic tonic, popularly known as a seizure.

There are also refractory seizures, which are those that do not respond to drug treatment, called in the past anticonvulsants.

According to experts, a common mistake in the face of a crisis is to try to help by pulling the patient’s tongue or putting a finger in the mouth. In addition to not helping, the measure can hurt the patient’s oral cavity or who is trying to help.

Neurologist Carlos Alberto Mantovani Guerreiro explains that the most important thing is not to leave the person on their back, but in the lateral position. With the rigidity of the body during the crisis, the person cannot swallow saliva and can choke.

“Saliva must be eliminated to avoid the risk of aspiration and becoming a serious problem for the respiratory system”, comments Guerreiro. “The first thing in assisting a crisis is to be calm. And the most important thing is to put support, a pillow so you don’t hit your head. Most crises are self-limited and last a maximum of 1 minute, they are interrupted normally and the person recovers”, says the specialist.

In more severe cases, status epilepticus may occur, where seizures are quite recurrent and time-consuming, and the person is at risk of death. Therefore, experts recommend following an appropriate treatment according to each type of epilepsy.

The head of the epilepsy service at the Department of Neurology at Unicamp, Fernando Sandis, explains that around 80% of people with focal epilepsies, those caused by an injury identified by imaging tests, can be cured through surgery.

“We need to learn to know which patient needs to be sent quickly for treatment. There is a late referral for diagnosis. Children, for example, take drugs and become intoxicated even before identifying the correct type of epilepsy and the best form of treatment”, evaluates Kette Valente, president of the Brazilian League of Epilepsy.

Different types of epilepsy

O CNN Vital Signs shows the different types of epilepsy and the causes and forms of treatment, from the correct use of drugs to the use of surgery or diets.

The team shows the routine of people with epilepsy who, although living with seizures, can lead a normal life.

Actress and model Laura Neiva reports having faced difficulties in accepting medication treatment. “As soon as I was diagnosed, I found out that I had to take medicine for life. I was nonconformist and stopped taking medicine, in secret. And I had a seizure driving and I crashed the car. So, I started to accept the treatment”, she says.

The program also presents the change of routine of actress Julia Almeida, diagnosed with the disease. She tells how she deals with the condition, the crises and talks about the importance of allowing and listening to continue with a lighter everyday life.