Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a neurological condition that affects the brain and nervous system, where a person suffers from seizures that begin in the brain, which contains millions of nerve cells that use electrical signals to control various body functions, but when a defect occurs in these functions, it causes an epileptic seizure, and in this article We will talk in detail about epilepsy in children, its causes, signs, and treatment methods.
Signs of epilepsy in children
The signs of epilepsy in children vary depending on the severity of the seizure they suffer, and are divided into two parts:
- Partial seizure is divided into:
- Simple seizure: It is the seizure that strikes a child at the beginning of the disease, and it begins with certain symptoms such as feeling pressure in the brain and hearing hallucinations from it.
- Complex seizure: In this case, the affected child loses consciousness and becomes unable to recognize things around him. He also behaves strangely, such as making sounds or clapping his hands.
- General seizure, divided into three seizures:
- Light: The affected child temporarily loses consciousness, looks in a certain direction, and makes unclear and incomprehensible movements.
- Muscular: The sick child makes violent movements with his hands and feet.
- Concussive: It is one of the most difficult cases, in which the child loses consciousness, his body becomes rigid, and he suffers from vibrations that make him lose control of himself.
Read also:Motor development of the child
Causes of epilepsy in children
- Being involved in an accident.
- A deficiency in essential elements in the body such as oxygen, calcium, and glucose.
- Congenital disability at birth.
- Inflammation of brain tissue.
- Taking some toxic medications.
- Strokes.
- Exposure to a direct hit to the head.
- Shake the children vigorously.
- Infection with meningitis.
- Lack of oxygen during childbirth.
- High fever in childhood.
- The presence of a congenital brain malformation.
- There is a defect in metabolism.
Types of epilepsy in children
- Partial epilepsy: It is epilepsy resulting from an injury to one of the centers of the brain, and its symptoms vary according to the affected center.
- Generalized epilepsy: It is divided into two types:
- Grand mal epilepsy: In this type, the child loses consciousness completely and falls. Therefore, it is dangerous if it causes a dangerous fall for the child, such as falling from a high place, which lasts for several minutes.
- Mild epilepsy: The skin color becomes pale, and the child partially loses consciousness, but he is still able to control his muscles.
Read also:Article about children
Treatment of epilepsy in children
- Giving the child anti-seizure medications; To control and alleviate the severity of epileptic seizures, he is given medications according to the type of epilepsy he suffers from.
- Surgery: This treatment is used for a child who suffers from strong and recurring seizures in a short time.
- Following a specific diet. In this treatment, the child adopts a strict dietary method that contains fats, complex carbohydrates, and a small amount of sugars. It is called the ketogenic diet.
