Seizure Disorder (Epilepsy)
The human body is prone to so many infections. Most of these infections affect or attack specific parts of the body. Different infections also have different symptoms depending on the part of the body in question (Karlet, 2005). There are those that attack the urinary system, the brain, the abdominal cavity among other areas of the body. However, in this cases study, I will address infections that are mostly classified under the infections of the human brain. I will address a common disorder; commonly referred to as the seizure disorder or simply epilepsy.
Seizure disorder is a one of the neurological disorders at a chronic stage. This disorder can only be controlled by constant use of drugs as there is no trustable cure for it yet. Surgery is said to have curative results, but it has not been classified as a curative method yet (Shorvon, 2009). Many scientists in the field of medicine have in numerous occasions differed on when to conclude that the disorder deserves to be referred to as epilepsy. There are those that argue that; for any doctor to conclude that his/her patient is suffering from the disorder, frequent and unprovoked seizures have to be recorded (Born, 2005). This disorder is characterized by recurring seizures that originate from a set of diverse, but common chronic neurological disorders (Peacock & Thompson, 2000). These seizures are from the brain part which controls electrical activity in the central nervous system. People should not think of this disease as simply a disorder. This is because it involves numerous seizures with divergent symptoms. Therefore, experts prefer looking at it as a set of sequential syndromes.
The seizures involved in this disease originate from the neural cavity of the brain when it experiences unbalanced and excessive hypersychronous activity (Karlet, 2005). In numerous cases, this is as a result of developing cancerous cells in the brain, drug abuse, strokes, alcohol misuse, and brain traumas (Parkinson & Johnson, 2006). However, there are individuals, not in any of the above categories, but tend to experience these seizures. Seizures have been observed to be experienced by people recovering from brain surgeries, in underdeveloped infants and also the elderly in the society. Statics puts the world population with seizures disorder at more that 51 million people in the world as of 2009 (Shorvon, 2009). Statistics have also recently shown that developing countries are more characterized with these seizures disorders. This is due to improper or insufficient ways of addressing the symptoms when detected.
Epilepsy or seizure disorder has one most prevalent symptom: recurrent seizures. These seizures are in most cases long term, and they may lead to victims either biting their tongues when they occur or experience tonic-clonic seizures. These seizures can be triggered by different events and are usually diverse depending on the individual in question (Born, 2005). There are individuals who experience seizures triggered by a simple thing like excess light. When these individuals come from dull light areas, and then all of a sudden they experience too much light on their eyes, they are prone to experience seizures. These kinds of seizures are usually referred to as photosensitive epilepsy since they are only triggered by light (Peacock & Thompson, 2000). Any factor that triggers a seizure can be viewed as the adjacent cause of the form of epileptic reaction that occurs. There are individuals who also experience a seizure from fears or discomfort of certain activities like reading, or even swimming. There are others who are said to unknowingly induce epileptic conditions when they tend to over breathe, or do activities that would cause them to breathe deeper than usual (Shorvon, 2009). This is called Hyperventilation.
All the seizures originate from the central nervous system. The nervous system is the most crucial part in an animal’s body as it controls all activities taking part in it. The nervous system of an animal’s body compromises of the peripheral nervous system and the central nervous system (Karlet, 2005). The peripheral nervous system is comprised of all nerves and neurons that relay messages in respect to the commands of the central nervous system. The spinal cord and the brain are the only organs that make up the central nervous. It is the central processing unit in the animal’s body as it processes signals, and then sends a command all over the body on the activities to be carried out (Karlet, 2005). These activities can either be voluntary or involuntary. It then coordinates these activities and then transmits signals all over the body, through articulate nerves and neurons. Therefore, if the central nervous system was to experience any malfunctioning, devastating results are prone to be experienced (Parkinson & Johnson, 2006). Most of the common effects experienced in the brain are brought about by brain or nerve injuries and also spinal cord ones (Parkinson & Johnson, 2006). Other than the above, there are other major causes of neurological disorders. They include; different infections, congenital abnormalities, genetic disorders and negative environmental or lifestyle effects
The most common way of diagnosing epilepsy is through keen observation of unprovoked and recurring seizures (Shorvon, 2009). However, there are doctors who provoke these seizures so as to be totally sure if it were epilepsy they treating or something else since there are different types of seizures (Shorvon, 2009). Seizures provocation is the only procedure that can be classified as a laboratory tests since results are induced. Otherwise, there are no known lab tests for epilepsy. Seizures manifest themselves in a couple of ways, and if not keenly analyzed, attention may shift from the right diagnoses to the wrong one. There are characterized by absenteeism: that is, inattentiveness, others are characterized by conversion disorders, benign shoulders, and other self- gratification characteristics.
This disease disorder manifests itself a numbers or ways. However, its manifestation is highly spelled by the victim in question. That is in terms of the age, health and psychological or mental stability. For example, during early infant stages, seizures are common due to congenital abnormalities, trauma, metabolic disorders and other infections (Karlet, 2005). Late stages of infancy seizures seize being more perseverant. However, there are seizures referred to as febrile that occur commonly in the early childhood stages. They mostly occur due trauma and infections of the central nervous system. In adulthood seizures are less common, but they still occur due to some causes. They include; trauma, brain tumors, stress, infections of the central nervous system and illicit brews or drugs (Peacock & Thompson, 2000). Seizures are known to occur to older adults due to a number of infections. They include; cerebral vascular disease, tumors, central nervous system infections among other elderly diseases that are known to cause epilepsy.
This disease is very common in the world. Research has shown that this illness proves to be more common in the developing countries than in the developed ones. This is due to insufficient means of handling the symptoms. This is because machinery used in most of these developing countries is usually of low quality, with under developed technology, making detection of such neurological diseases difficult (Shorvon, 2009). Many people in these countries are also poor, and at one time or the other they are exposed to factors that can lead to epileptic syndromes on a daily basis. Improper health care adds as another challenge that makes it hard to control epileptic symptoms in these developing countries. Statistics have continued to show that a maximum of 70 and a minimum of 40 in every 100, 000 persons are epileptic in the developed countries. In the developing countries, these results are more devastating as a maximum of 190, and a minimum of 100 in every 100,000 people, are epileptic (Shorvon, 2009). However, recent statistics have shown that epileptic cases have reduced among children, but have increased among the elderly in the recent years.
Seizures disorder is a treatable disease by medication. However, this medication depends on whether the seizures are partial or generalized. This helps in determining on the treatment that would be more efficient to the victim in question. Surgery is another treatment method though it is not as common as in the use of mediation (Shorvon, 2009). Neurosurgical operations are known to reduce the severity, and frequent occurrences of the seizures. In fact, there have been reported cases of actual cure through surgery. Doctors have also continued to advice on the steps to follow in case any of our friends had a seizure. The right thing to do is roll the person to a side position which is the recovery position (Shorvon, 2009). This prevents the liquid that tends to drip from a victim’s mouth to get to the lungs, resulting into chocking and eventually death. Seizure victims are also to be kept from sharp objects to avoid them hurting themselves. A normal seizure should not take more than five minutes. If it did, medical attention should be contacted immediately.
In conclusion, seizure disorder is very common in the world. Our brothers and sisters from all walks of life suffer from this illness. It is not by voluntary inducement or as an act of irresponsibility that they are victims of this disorder. Therefore, we should all join hands and embrace them, in readiness to assist them with all we can during seizures (Karlet, 2005). We should also offer them encouragement and support in life even when they are not experiencing seizures.
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Born, B. A. (2005). The essential massage companion: Everything you need to know to navigate safely through today’s drugs and diseases. Berkley, MI: Concepts Born.
Karlet, M. (2005). Nurse anesthesia secrets. St. Louis: Elsevier Mosby.
Parkinson, G., & Johnson, M. (2006). Epilepsy. London [u.a.: Continuum.
Peacock, J., & Thompson, J. (2000). Epilepsy. Mankato, MN: LifeMatters.
Shorvon, S. D. (2009). Epilepsy. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
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