12 delusions about epilepsy

"Epilepsy" doctors made the diagnosis in antique times. Displays of an illness and pattern of its development are very well studied. However for nonspecialists this disease remains to not less mysterious, than in the ancient time. Many delusions are connected with epilepsy, and it sometimes very unpleasantly affects quality of life of patients and their relatives. In this article we will try to dispel the most known of similar myths.

Epilepsy is a mentality disease

Epilepsy – a chronic neurologic disease which is shown, first of all, by periodically arising loss of consciousness and short-term loss of self-checking. It is a problem physical, but not mental, pathological activity of neurons of a cerebral cortex is its cornerstone. Patients are treated and stay on the registry not at psychiatrists, and at neuropathologists and neurologists.

All epileptics have weak-mindedness

The statement is absolutely incorrect. At most of the people having epilepsy no signs of decrease in intelligence or difficulties of cerebration are observed. They normally live in intervals between attacks, actively work and try to obtain considerable professional progress. It is enough to note that many great writers, artists, scientists, politicians and commanders were epileptics.

At some severe damages of a brain which are shown weak-mindedness at patients also epileptic seizures are observed, but in these cases they are the accompanying condition, but not the reason of mental retardation.

Epilepsy is incurable

It's not true. At correctly appointed treatment and careful performance of recommendations of doctors by patients, in 70% of cases it is possible to achieve so significant improvements of a state that further patients can live, without accepting antiepileptic drugs.

Epilepsy can catch

Possibly, the reason of a delusion was the fact that at newborns epilepsy really sometimes develops owing to pre-natal infection. For example, the sick child can be born at the woman who during pregnancy had a rubella or toxoplasmosis.

The disease has nothing in common with infections. It is impossible to catch it.

The main signs of an attack – a spasm in combination with foam from a mouth

The name "epilepsy" combines about 20 states, only a small part of which is shown quite so. At many epileptics attacks look far not so spectacularly. Most often patients for several seconds or minutes just lose touch with reality. At the same time people around can not notice anything unusual, having taken an immovability and an absent look of the person for signs of deep thoughtfulness. At other patients the illness is shown by spasms of certain groups of muscles without loss of consciousness. Many epileptics note visual, sound or olfactory hallucinations, attacks of panic or, on the contrary, unreasonable raising of mood, and even feelings "déjà vu".

There are also such attacks during which patients, being in a condition of loss of communication with reality, make the difficult actions which are externally looking as comprehended without understanding their purpose and effects.

It is easy to predict approach of an attack

Epileptics really sometimes have characteristic feelings by which it is possible to determine approach of an attack several seconds prior to its beginning, so-called aura. Unfortunately, it happens seldom, and practically does not influence quality of life as the patient all the same cannot prevent an attack. For this reason some types of activity are contraindicated to the people having epilepsy (driving of the car, work near reservoirs, etc.).

Antiepileptic drugs are very dangerous

Modern drugs against epilepsy – the serious means having contraindications and side effects. The doctor has to carry out the choice of medicine. Usually treatment with such drugs is begun with the minimum quantity on one reception, gradually increasing a dose before achievement of therapeutic effect. Drugs use is long. It is impossible to interrupt a course without consultation with the specialist, it is fraught with activation of a disease and even development of states, life-threatening.

Epilepsy develops at people who were easily excitable in the childhood

This very old delusion which is sometimes observed even at physicians. Pediatricians subject to it sometimes appoint to excessively excitable children anticonvulsant drugs.

Actually inability to concentrate, differences of mood, tendency to hysterics and other qualities inherent to some uneasy children have nothing in common with the reasons of development of epilepsy. It does not mean that such child does not need the help of the neurologist or children's psychologist.

All epileptics have an illness from early age

Epilepsy can develop at any age, however about 70% are the share of the people who got sick in the early childhood or in old age. At kids the illness develops owing to the hypoxia transferred to the period of pre-natal development or in the course of birth and also because of inborn diseases of a brain. Elderly people often have the reason of development of epilepsy strokes and brain new growths.

The major factor provoking an attack is flickering light

It's not true. The list of the factors capable to cause an epileptic seizure includes:

• Decrease in level of glucose in blood (for example, because of a long break between meals);
• Sleep debt, exhaustion;
• Stress, feeling of alarm;
• Alcohol intake, hungover syndrome;
• Use of drugs;
• Reception of some drugs (including antidepressants);
• The increased body temperature;
• Periods.

The women having epilepsy cannot become pregnant

Existence of a disease does not affect an opportunity to become pregnant and give birth to the child. On the contrary, during incubation of a fruit the condition of future mothers having epilepsy improves, attacks almost stop. The disease is not descended. About 95% of pregnancies at female epileptics come to an end with birth of healthy kids.

Epilepsy – a rare disease

In the world about 50 million people have epilepsy. On prevalence this third neurologic disease after Alzheimer's disease and a stroke. Specialists claim that nearly 10% of people once in life tested a convulsive attack, however the diagnosis "epilepsy" is made only when attacks repeat regularly.

Delusions concerning epilepsy are very hardy. They influence the attitude towards patients who because of it can have serious problems with professional implementation and adaptation in society. It is necessary that people understood that the person having epilepsy despite "strange" behavior, not only is not dangerous to people around, but periodically needs their help.