Today, May 24, the National Epilepsy Day, a neurological disease which is produced by the excessive discharge of brain neurons and that It manifests before age 12 in one in four cases.
The Spanish Association of Pediatrics (AEP) explains that there are different types of epilepsy and explains the symptoms that accompany it and that indicate that we have to see a doctor immediately.
This is manifested
When we think of epilepsy, the seizures that come with seizures come to mind, when the child abruptly loses consciousness and jerks occur throughout the body.
But the AEP experts explain that there are different types of epilepsy and crisis, depending on the area of the brain where the discharge is located. Thus, Dr. Ignacio Málaga, president of the Spanish Society of Pediatric Neurology (SENEP), of the AEP, points out that the symptoms to which we must alert ourselves and go to the doctor are:
The appearance of sudden, repetitive or unusual movements.
Short periods, usually seconds, of disconnection in which the child does not respond to stimuli.
Measures to be taken to control it
According to Dr. Ignacio Málaga, you have to:
- "Establish regular sleep patterns that guarantee the child's rest".
"It does not mean that children with epilepsy cannot go to bed late one day, but we explain that they should ideally have a regular sleep and try to sleep the recommended hours for each age."
Lead a life as normal as possible, similar to the remains of children of their age.
Notify the school of the condition of the child, so that they know the situation and know how to react in case of crisis.
Avoid toxic, such as alcohol.
In Babies and more Childhood epilepsy: what is it?In addition, the neurosurgeon ensures that it is important that in consultation the parents be explained that "they must be careful in the most dangerous situations in case of cerebral crisis, for example, in the bathtub, the sea or the swimming pools", and what to do in case of seizures.
"Parents should never put anything in their child's mouth if they are having a seizure."Two thirds of children are cured in adolescence
In order to help parents know how to act on a day-to-day basis and offer reassuring information about the evolution of the disease, the Spanish Association of Pediatrics, with the collaboration of SENEP, has prepared a series of articles on the epilepsy, where they clarify what are the different types, although the general recommendations are similar in almost all cases.
But experts also affect the positive results provided by recent studies, which reveal that In most cases the prognosis is good, especially when the child does not have any other nervous system disease prior to the onset of epilepsy.
In Babies and more Medicinal marijuana, a new hope to treat seizures of children with epilepsyAlong these lines, the president of SENEP ensures:
"Although some types of epilepsy do not require pharmacological treatment, in other forms of the disease it is necessary to avoid the emergence of new crises."
In fact, between 50 and 90% of children remain without crisis thanks to the administration of a single drug, while between 20 and 30% of affected children manage to control the disease with a second treatment.
The neuropediatrician will be in charge of deciding the most appropriate treatment, since there are currently more than 20 antiepileptics with different mechanisms of action on the brain. Luckily, the expert explains, that "although although no antiepileptic drug is free of side effects" (the greatest concern of parents), "in the new treatments they are less and less frequent".
And he sends a message of optimism to the parents of children with epilepsy by pointing out that "In most cases, it is a controllable disease, and in many cases, curable.",
"With a correct diagnosis and the help of new medical advances, two thirds of children with this disease are cured when they reach adolescence."Photos | iStock
