What is Epilepsy?

Epilepsy is a neurological disorder and disease that occurs as a result of an unusual electro-chemical discharge of nerve cells in the brain.

Epilepsy, also known as 'epilepsy' among the public, is due to short-term brain dysfunction and occurs as a result of temporary abnormal electrical propagation in brain cells. It causes temporary loss of consciousness, which occurs as a result of the excessive and uncontrolled spread of electricity related to the normal functioning of the brain. It becomes dangerous if the seizure lasts too long (30 minutes). Epilepsy is a disease that affects approximately 1% of the world's population. The disease occurs equally in men and women, regardless of race. Epileptic seizures can occur at any age, but the youngest and oldest are most often affected. epilepsy; Epilepsy is not mental retardation. Epilepsy is a disease that occurs at all ages.

Seizures cannot be predicted in advance. Epilepsy is not treated, it is controlled. Behavioral and learning disorders may occur in epilepsy. Every year, 120 out of 100,000 people are diagnosed with epilepsy. Epilepsy is not a contagious disease. If epileptic seizures are not controlled, they can cause problems with intelligence. Epilepsy can begin immediately after birth or years later. What are the causes of epilepsy? Brain tumor Vascular (infarct, hemorrhage, aneurysmal bleeding) Blows to the head, traffic accidents Problems in the womb Damage left over from birth (congenital) Degenerative damage Genetic and metabolic diseases Brain infections such as meningitis can lead to epilepsy.

What are the Symptoms of Epilepsy? Symptoms of epilepsy vary from person to person, and not all symptoms may be observed in patients. Since epilepsy disease occurs with the deterioration of a function in the human brain, its symptoms may vary depending on the area of the brain affected and the symptoms may differ according to the function. Generally speaking, symptoms of epilepsy are as follows: Sudden contractions in the body Uncontrollable shaking in the arms and legs Continuous head shaking movement Focusing on a fixed point Continuous and rapid blinking Psychological symptoms such as fear, anxiety or dejavu (feeling as if you have experienced that moment before) Epilepsy is a feeling felt by the patient before the seizure (seizure). future sensation) are defined as subjective sensations. Numbness Changes in vision and hearing Nausea or feeling of pressure in the stomach Sudden feeling of fear Smelling different smells What are the Epilepsy Treatment Methods?

Epilepsy patients; Believing that they have irreversibly lost their health and freedom, experiencing fear of death, and the chronicity of the disease can cause acute or chronic stress. The often uncertain nature of epilepsy causes patients to experience many psychosocial problems. Psychosocial problems associated with epilepsy may depend on the patient's age, the underlying etiology and neuropathy of the disease, the duration of epilepsy, the frequency, severity and type of seizures, EEG discharge, antiepileptic drugs and various psychological factors. Decrease in the patient's academic success, inadequate familial and environmental support, chronic disease state. Negative attitudes of society towards epilepsy are other factors that cause psychosocial problems.

To protect or regulate the daily functions and positions of epilepsy patients in society; It should be fought to change society's views on epilepsy and patients should be treated. It is also stated that it is effective in the treatment of epilepsy patients, including applications such as antiepileptic drugs and neurosurgery, as well as education and psychological interventions. Some studies show that psychological interventions reduce seizure frequency and stress in patients with epilepsy. Communication between health professionals, the patient and their family is very important in the treatment of epilepsy. It is stated that epilepsy is more common in individuals diagnosed as children than in adults. From the time epilepsy patients were first diagnosed; Not being informed about social aspects such as diagnosis and treatment, situations to pay attention to in their lives, and stigma about the disease negatively affects the patient and his family's ability to cope with the disease. For this reason, the patient and his family need to be supported and informed about the method of epilepsy.

Nurses play a key role in improving the quality of care of patients with epilepsy and regulating their communication with other healthcare professionals. Drug Treatment Starting Drug Treatment The most important point in the treatment of epilepsy is the regular and planned use of drugs selected to stop seizures. Seizures stop in four out of every five patients when appropriate medications are selected and taken in sufficient doses. Physicians generally prefer to start treatment with a single epilepsy drug. If this medication does not adequately control seizures, then the medication may be changed or a second medication may be added. Surgical Treatment Before deciding on surgical treatment, it must be shown that the patient's seizures are resistant to medical treatment.

Therefore, patients must use medication for at least 2 years. It should be ensured that at least 2-3 appropriate antiepileptic drugs are used individually (monotherapy) and together (polytherapy) in sufficient doses and duration. These medications need to be increased gradually until seizures are controlled or unacceptable dose-related side effects develop. In patients whose seizures are caused by a structural disorder such as a brain tumor or vascular abnormality, surgical treatment may be decided earlier. Both drug resistance and surgical success are high in these cases. The longer seizures have been uncontrolled, the less successful seizure control will be after surgery and the higher the likelihood of psychosocial problems occurring. There are two main types of epilepsy surgery methods.

Resective Surgery: More preferred is the removal of the epileptic focus itself. Functional surgery and Palliative surgery: It is a surgical method aimed at reducing the spread, frequency and severity of seizures by cutting the seizure propagation pathways. Resective surgical methods, which aim to completely eliminate seizures, are applied to patients with partial-onset seizures, that is, their seizures start from a specific focus. These patients are patients with low quality of life who have proven to be resistant after using medication in sufficient numbers, doses and duration.

If the epileptic focus is on one side of the brain and in a relatively harmless place, that is, if important cognitive functions such as mobility, memory, speech and vision will not be impaired after the surgery, the surgical method should be determined without too much delay. This decision can only be made after pre-surgical examinations. Before the surgery, it is decided whether the patient is suitable for this type of surgery as a result of the tests performed by a team of neurologists, neurosurgeons, radiology, neuropsychology and psychiatry experts.