Symptomatic epilepsy is caused by an injury to the brain. People of all ages can suffer the kind of brain injury that causes this form of epilepsy. The types of brain injuries that can result in symptomatic epilepsy are stroke, brain infection, brain tumour, severe head injury or injuries during childbirth.
Epilepsy can affect every person differently, but it’s mostly characterised by recurring seizures of varying severity. Not all seizures are related to epilepsy. Epilepsy is the result of abnormal electrical activity in the brain and this abnormal activity can produce seizures along with other symptoms. The “storms” of electrical activity in the brain associated with epilepsy can be specific to one part of the brain or can affect the entire brain.
Symptomatic epilepsy symptoms can vary depending on the part of the brain that is impacted by an injury, stroke, or infection. Possible symptoms of epilepsy are:
Symptomatic epilepsy is caused by an injury to the brain. This causes the electrical signals in the brain to become confused. The confused electrical signals can lead to electrical “storms” that impact the whole brain or only specific parts of the brain. It is not clear why this happens in patients who have epilepsy. Epilepsy is believed to be a genetic condition and individuals with other family members who have been diagnosed with epilepsy are more likely to inherit the condition.
Strokes, brain tumours, severe head injuries, or drug and alcohol abuse can all cause damage to the brain and lead to epilepsy. You might also develop epilepsy if you have had a brain infection or were deprived of oxygen for a period of time. Infants can suffer brain damage during delivery that can lead to symptomatic epilepsy as well.
The risk factors for symptomatic epilepsy are:
Diagnosis of epilepsy involves the use of many different tests. Electroencephalogram (EEG) can be used to test for electrical activity in the brain that should not be present. Usually, these tests are most effective if seizure activity is actively going on. These tests can be done by wearing an EEG at home, which will record the activity of your brain during a 24 to 48-hour window.
A CT scan or MRI can also be used to take pictures of the brain and see if there are physical reasons for the epilepsy symptoms that a patient is experiencing. A single-photon emission computerised tomography test (SPECT) can also be used to track brain activity. This test uses a small amount of radioactive material that is injected into the veins to look at the blood flow activity in the brain.
Neuropsychological tests are also commonly used to test the thinking, memory, and speech of the patient as well.
Treatment of epilepsy is done in a variety of different ways, depending upon the severity of the seizure activity. Most patients with epilepsy can be treated with anti-seizure medications. Some children actually grow out of having seizures as well. It is often a complex process to find the right combination of medications and the right doses of each to control epilepsy.
If medication does not control your symptoms adequately, surgery can sometimes be an option. Surgery is performed to remove small areas of the brain that are causing the seizures. This is only an option in patients with seizure activity in specific, small areas of the brain. Surgery cannot be done if the area of your brain that is impacted controls language, speech, motor functions, vision, or hearing.
Prevention of epilepsy is not always possible. You can make sure that you wear a helmet when engaging in activities that might lead to a head injury, and you can avoid drinking and smoking. You should also abstain from taking street drugs. Make sure that you get medical care immediately if you have hit your head, even if you do not have any notable symptoms. Wearing a seatbelt while driving or riding in a vehicle is also important to prevent head injuries.
Prevention of stroke through lowering your blood pressure and eating a heart-healthy diet is a good way to prevent epilepsy that is caused by other health conditions. If your epilepsy is caused by genetics, you may not be able to take preventative action to avoid this health condition.