Epilepsy is a neurological disease characterized by increased electrical activity of the brain. Such activity of brain nerve cells is externally manifested by seizures or a temporary loss of consciousness, a connection with reality.
This disease occurs in 5-10% of the population and in 60-80% of cases it is successfully treated medically. In the case of the remaining 20-30%, there is a significant decrease in brain electrical activity and frequency of seizures.
In children, epilepsy can be diagnosed in infancy and, as a rule, is the reason for setting the child on the account to the neurologist. The manifestations of this disease in children are similar to those in adults. Early diagnosis and timely treatment can completely eliminate the child from further attacks of epilepsy.
Symptoms of childhood epilepsy
Signs of epilepsy in children:
- seizures with the appearance of foam from the mouth, biting the tongue, loss of consciousness. These manifestations refer to the manifestations of a convulsive generalized seizure. After a seizure within 3-4 minutes, a sense of reality may be disturbed and temporary problems with mental activity are possible;
- sudden loss of contact with reality, manifested by an unexpected numbness, a glance at one point and the lack of reaction to external stimuli (does not respond to speech, touch, gestures). Such an attack is called an absence and refers to an unconvulsive generalized seizure. Lasts from 5 to 30 seconds. It occurs mainly in childhood epilepsy.
Syndromes of epilepsy in children
Epilepsy in children can be symptomatic and manifest as a sign of any unhappiness in the body. Such phenomena can be called syndromes and epileptic seizures. As a rule, after eliminating the problems provoking such attacks, they disappear after them. The reasons for the occurrence of epileptic seizures include:
- immaturity of the nervous system (a common cause of epilepsy in infants and infants);
- high temperature of different origin;
- period of painful dentition;
- craniocerebral trauma.
Due to the above-described factors, single seizures of epilepsy in children may occur, which, once occurred, may never recur.
Also, epilepsy syndromes can accompany serious illness in children, associated with intoxication of the body and brain damage. For example, with meningitis, encephalitis, liver and kidney problems, brain tumors, etc. In this case, epilepsy occurs again and its development largely depends on the treatment of the disease that provoked it. In some cases, it is cured along with the underlying ailment, in some cases continues to bother the person for life.
Prophylaxis of epilepsy in children
Epilepsy, although sometimes found in several generations of one family, does not officially belong to diseases transmitted by inheritance. In many respects its occurrence depends on the health of the human nervous system, its somatic health. To avoid the development of epilepsy in children, parents need:
- Protect the child, even one that is still in the womb, from collision with toxins, poisons and dangerous infections (toxoplasmosis, meningitis, tick-borne encephalitis, etc.).
- Provide walks in the fresh air to avoid hypoxia (hypoxia is fraught with increased intracranial pressure, which can also provoke electrical activity).
- Do not allow heavy loads and fatigue of the child's nervous system.
- Do not include in the baby's diet products that can contain dangerous dyes, preservatives and carcinogens and can cause poisoning and intoxication of the body.