Brain tumor is an abnormal growth of the brain cells. The extra growth inside the brain can exert pressure on the skull, causing life-threatening complications. However, not all brain tumors are malignant. Some can be non-cancerous, benign or harmless masses of cancerous cells that mainly target the structural tissue of the brain. It can start either in the brain, or cancer elsewhere in the body can spread to the brain.

According to WHO guidelines brain tumors are categorized into four grades based on the intensity and abnormality of the cells.

• GRADE 1: Cells look benign and grow slowly; survival of the patient is likely.
• GRADE 2: Cells look slightly abnormal. The tumor grows slowly and may spread to other tissues.
• GRADE 3: Cells look abnormal. The tumor grows aggressively and tends to recur.
• GRADE 4: The cells look abnormal and spread quickly. Tumour could be life-threatening.

Warning signs and symptoms of brain tumor

Depending on the type, location, and stage of the tumor, it can cause both physical and mental symptoms. Some of the commonly observed signs and symptoms of brain tumors are

1. Unusual headache – Headache can be a common symptom. If someone is experiencing an unusual headache, especially a new one that feels localized to a specific part of the head it could be an early indication of a brain tumor. The headache tends to be more severe in the morning. A brain tumor increases the pressure inside the skull, which can lead to inflammation and tissue damage. Hence, severe, persistent headaches can occur. If there are changes in the frequency or intensity of the headaches, one must consult a doctor.

Also watch: Migraine- Dr Tejaswi

2. Seizures – They are one of the most common symptoms of brain tumors. The seizures occur when the brain’s normal patterns of electrical impulses are disrupted. It is reported that brain tumor-related epilepsy (BTE) is common in low- and high-grade gliomas. The risk of seizures varies between 60% and 100% among low-grade gliomas and between 40% and 60% in glioblastomas.

Also Read: Epilepsy – A neurological disorder in which brain activity becomes abnormal 

3. Memory loss, Speech difficulties and hearing loss – Brain tumors can affect the stages of creating, storing and recalling of memory. Retrograde amnesia, a state where one can’t recall memories that were formed before the event that caused the amnesia and anterograde amnesia, where one can’t form new memories after the event that caused the amnesia can occur in people with brain tumor. A brain tumor can affect the communication capabilities of a person and can cause difficulties in uttering or producing sounds, finding the correct word, and understanding what others are saying. It can also have an impact on reading and writing. Also, the pressure exerted by a tumor on surrounding nerves may cause hearing loss and imbalance.

4. Weakness in the hands and legs – Weakness or numbness in the face, arms or legs is a common occurrence in brain tumors. It is caused by brain tumors located in the frontal lobes or the brainstem. Weakness in one foot/leg or both feet/legs can cause difficulty in walking. Hence, one may experience loss of balance while walking.

5. Sudden shifts in mood or personality – Mood changes are commonly associated with brain tumors located in the frontal lobe. This part of the brain is highly involved in regulating personality and behaviour and it also helps controls a person’s behavior and emotions. Sudden mood change can be seen in persons whose pituitary gland has been affected by tumors. It can cause the gland to under-or overproduce hormones, leading to an hormonal imbalance. Getting to know about one’s diagnosis of brain tumor can greatly affect the mental and emotional state.

When to see a doctor?

The above symptoms are a clear indication that one must immediately seek medical help. Upon diagnosis and conducting a range of neurological tests, your doctor will be able to identify and tell you what’s causing the symptoms. If diagnosed with a tumor, one can identify the types and follow the doctor’s advice. Always remember that early diagnosis and treatment are important to help prevent the tumor from growing.

Dr. Ravi Gopal Varma

Lead Consultant Neurosurgery – Bangalore

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Epilepsy is a central nervous system (neurological) disorder in which brain activity becomes abnormal, causing seizures or periods of unusual behavior, sensations, and sometimes loss of awareness. Purple day is an international day dedicated to increasing epilepsy awareness. Every year march 26, people around the word wear purple and host events to raise awareness of the condition. Purple day is an international grass roots level effort dedicated to increasing awareness about epilepsy, worldwide started in the year 2008 by a known epileptic patient 9 year old girl by name Cassidy Megan of Canada and Epilepsy association of Nova Scotia. More than 65 million people effected by this problem globally. It is estimated that  out of these 50% of cases , the cause is unknown.

Quick facts about Epilepsy :

1. Globally more than 65 million people are living with  this disorder. In India more than 12 million people , 2.2 million Americans and 3,00,000 Canadians are living with epilepsy.

2. Epilepsy is one of the primary symptoms of CNS disorder. It  is not contagious, not a psychological  disorder, nor a disease.

3. There is currently no ‘cure’ for epilepsy. However for 10-15% of people with epilepsy, the surgical removal of the seizure focus , the part of the brain where the persons seizure start , can eliminate all seizure activity. For more than half people with epilepsy, medication will control their seizure. Additionally, some children will outgrow their epilepsy and some adults may have a spontaneous remission.

4. Some common triggers which initiate seizure activity include, forgetting to take prescribed medicines, lack of sleep, missing meals ,stress, excitement ,  emotional upset, menstrual cycle, hormonal changes, illness, fever, low seizure medication levels, medicines  other than prescribed seizure medicine, flickering lights of computers, televisions, videos, etc…, bright sun light, street drugs can also initiate seizure activity.

First Aid to Seizure :

1. Stay calm and stay with the person, let the seizure take its course. Speak calmly and explain to others what is happening.

2. Move the dangerous objects out of the way. Time the seizure.

3. Do not restrain the person. Loosen anything tight around the neck. Protect the patient from injury. If needed, take the person to the floor place something soft under the head.

4. Do not put anything in the mouth. The person will not swallow his/her own tongue. He may injure his tongue only.

5. Gently roll the person on to his or her side as the convulsive seizure subsides , to allow saliva or other fluids to drain away and keep the airway clear.

6. After seizure, talk to the person reassuringly. Don’t leave until the person is reoriented. The person may need rest or sleep. Best thing would be shift the patient to the nearby hospital.

Why purple colour for purple day?

Lavender is the international colour for epilepsy and also a colour that symbolize solitude , which is representative of the feelings of isolation and loneliness that people suffering from this condition often feel. This led to purple being the colour of choice for this celebration. The very mission of purple day celebration is to educate the public and create awareness not to fear epilepsy. The goals of celebrating is to dispel myths , give hope, promote education, help employment, facilitate marriage and overcome epilepsy.

Dr. Muralee Mohan Choontharu

Suraksha Dental Clinic
Hosangadi Manjeshwara – 671323
Kasaragoad, Kerala.
Mob: 98451 35787

www.surakshadental.com

Email: drmuraleemohan@gmail.com

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Bengaluru, 21 November 2021 : On the occasion of National Epilepsy Day – 17th November, Sakra World Hospital, announced the initialization of Phase-2 of the EPIC (Epilepsy Prevention & Integrated Care) Program. This program is initiated in association with Rotary International and First Meridian. This year-long program aimed to provide quality treatment and education about Epilepsy for PWE (People with Epilepsy) for free.

The EPIC program is India’s first distinctive initiative to focus on Refractory epilepsy (uncontrolled epilepsy), specially dedicated for epilepsy patients who fall under the category of Below Poverty Level (BPL). This initiative was inaugurated by then Honourable Chief Minister of Karnataka Mr. C M Yediyurappa in September 2020. The progress till date has been tremendous, more than 500 epilepsy patients hailing from different parts of the state have undertaken treatment. Out of the 500 patients, for the first time in Karnataka, 20 patients with refractory epilepsy underwent complex epilepsy surgeries including robotics surgeries, free of cost in a private hospital setup under EPIC program. In addition, 2 patients underwent Robotic assisted hemispherotomy for the first time in the State of Karnataka. 

Dr. Satish Rudrappa, Director of Neurosciences said: “India has over 12 million people suffering from Epilepsy with an overall prevalence of 3.0-11.9 per 1000 population. There is a treatment gap that is prevalent where 75% of the patients fail to receive the necessary treatment due to poor patient workup and follow up at Primary Health Centre’s(PHC), poor family & education, lack of school health programs, and thus, early identification. In order to eradicate this, Sakra World Hospital, with their EPIC Program has taken an optimistic step forward to enable various medical & surgical treatment under supervision for all the epilepsy patients.”

In order to create a systematic sole platform for PWE, Rotary Bangalore IT Corridor (RBITC) has launched a mobile application based on EPIC Program known as the EPILEPSY-Rotary App, developed by First Meridian under their CSR program across the state of Karnataka to help the needy. This app will be available in both Kannada and English for all the Android and iOS Users.

The agenda of the program lies in educating people about identification of the disease with the help of distinguished education programs conducted by experienced school teachers and caretakers said Mr. Sudhakar Balakrishnan, Group CEO of First Meridian. The team has also decided to launch free epilepsy camps at various parts of Karnataka in association with local Rotary Clubs following the main objective of this program which is creating awareness in the community to remove the stigma attached to epilepsy.

Speaking about the EPIC Program, Dr Shivakumar, Senior Consultant – Neurology & Epileptology said, “Epilepsy is a treatable illness and in order to cure or control epilepsy among the prevalent, it is necessary to provide them with the right education and treatments at an affordable price. With the initialization of the EPIC Program, in the last one year, we have successfully managed to screen over 500 patients and also provide complex surgical treatments for PWE free of cost. This time, we will be advancing and focusing on treating patients with Refractory Epilepsy or Intractable seizures. The screening and treatments of these patients would be conducted in the best way possible and at free of cost. It is time we put out our best foot forward in eradicating epilepsy from the roots.”

“98% of patients who underwent complex epilepsy surgery under EPIC program are doing extremely well with near normal life” added Dr. Satish Rudrappa.

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International Epilepsy Day is a worldwide event celebrated on the 2^nd Monday of February every year is an initiative taken up by the International Bureau for Epilepsy (IBE) and the International League against Epilepsy (ILAE) in order to raise awareness on epilepsy. It is close to the celebration of Valentine’s Day and interestingly, it is a commonly held belief that St. Valentine had epilepsy.

IBE and ILAE has representation in more than 120 countries and this is a powerful opportunity to highlight the problems faced by people with epilepsy, their families and carers, in every region of the world. The common thread is the desire to bring to the attention of the public, professionals, and governments the need for better awareness and understanding, appropriate legislation, improved diagnostic and treatment services, and increased research to better the lives of all those affected by epilepsy around the world.

What are the signs and symptoms of Epilepsy?

Recurrent seizures are the major symptom of epilepsy. However depending on the kind of seizure, the symptoms may be different for each person. In case you observe any of the following symptoms in a person, particularly if they continue to occur, it is a must to see a doctor. These are as follows:

• Convulsions which are not accompanied by a change in temperature or development of fever
• Blackout episodes, sudden unexplainable gaps in memory or confusion
• Frequent episodes of fainting which come with involuntary urination or bowel expulsion
• Patient is unable to comprehend what is happening and does not respond to questions or instructions for some time
• Patient’s body becomes stiff without any cause
• Psychological symptoms such as fear or anxiety – the patient may suffer a panic or anger attack
• Unexplainable change in sense perceptions for example a different perception in smell, sound or touch
• Arms and legs moving involuntary, in jerking movements

What are the various causes for Epilepsy?
In most cases – about 50% – there is no known or apparent cause of epilepsy. Various conditions that have an impact on the brain can lead to the development of seizures. While some individuals could be genetically prone to developing epilepsy, some infections such as viral encephalitis, worm infestation, tuberculosis, or traumatic head injury, brain tumours, prenatal injury can increase the risk of epilepsy.

Is there a cure for Epilepsy?
At the moment there is no definite cure for most types of epilepsy, however treatment options which range from medication to surgery are effective at managing the condition and in most cases can stop the seizures from reoccurring. With the right treatment, most people, about 75% people with epilepsy can lead a normal seizure-free life and 20-30% of persons with epilepsy PWE have spontaneous remission of seizures without treatment.

What is the treatment gap for epilepsy in India?
India unfortunately has a large magnitude of treatment gap, ranging from about 22% in the urban middle class population and more so in villages, about 90%. This is because of a cluster of reasons, including inadequate access to or awareness of anti-epilepsy medications, low income, stigma and cultural beliefs associated with epilepsy, insufficient health infrastructure and a shortage of professionals trained in epileptology, inequitable distributions of available resources in rural areas and high cost of treatment.

What are the important aims of celebrating International Epilepsy day?
International Epilepsy Day was created with the motive to promote the right laws to assure that the human rights of people suffering from epilepsy are maintained and to empower such individuals to receive the best quality of life. The following messages must be reiterated –

• Stigma attached to epilepsy still exists due to which this is considered a silent disease
• Even though it is treatable, about 40% of individuals from wealthier countries still do not receive the right treatment
• National health systems suffer from a huge financial burden because of this lack of treatment
• The key barriers to improving quality of life for an epileptic patients remains lack of adequate research and legislation

Dr. Keni Ravish Rajiv
Consultant, Neurologist and Epileptologist
Aster RV Hospital, Bengaluru

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Epilepsy, a neurological problem that affects people of all age group is the 4^th largest chronic disorder globally. Characterized by unpredictable seizures, this can affect the day today life of a person leading to other health problems. With various kind of seizure types, epilepsy varies from person to person. The stigma associated with epilepsy and the lack of awareness among general public has mostly delayed the diagnosis and treatment to manage the condition.

According to a report by WHO, over 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy, making it one of the most common neurological diseases globally. Nearly 80% of people with epilepsy live in low- and middle-income countries and it is estimated that 70% of people living with epilepsy could live seizure- free if diagnosed early and treated.

Educating people about the symptoms  is important:

Epilepsy is not contagious. Although fits and seizures are direct symptoms of this, it is difficult to diagnose people suffering from complex partial seizures. The social stigma is another factor which delays the treatment for the problem. Hence creating awareness and educating people about the symptoms of epilepsy is important.

The mental complexities due to epilepsy, seizures, continuous medications, sexual orientation, anxiety can force an epileptic patient to lose self-esteem, enthusiasm and fall into depression thus impacting the quality of life. Also, the misconception associated with the condition can make people disengage themselves from the family and social life leading to severe health issues.

Causes for Epilepsy:

This problem  can start at any age, but mostly begins during childhood. There is no specific reason for developing this condition, however, in some cases which occurs later in the life are associated with damage to the brain. Following are the few conditions which can lead to epilepsy.

• Severe head injury
• Cerebrovascular disease
• Brain tumors
• Hereditary

 Signs and symptoms

The main symptoms of epilepsy is repeated seizures. It can occur when you are awake or asleep.  Below are the other signs and symptoms:

• Uncontrolled jerking movements of the arms and legs
• Confusion
• Loss of awareness and consciousness
• Blank stare
• Loss of bladder or bowel control
• Frothing from the mouth

Depending on the type of seizure, the symptoms vary from person to person. Some of the triggering factors of an epileptic seizure are:

• Fever or illness
• Lack of sleep
• Stress
• Flashing and bright lights
• Drugs, medicine, alcohol and caffeine
• Low blood sugar

As identifying the triggers for seizures is not easy and also the fact that multiple factors can trigger seizures, doctors recommend maintaining a ‘seizure journal’.

How can untreated epilepsy affect life?

In most cases, individuals with epilepsy who do not have any other neurological disorders, continue to be normal except for the brief time of seizure. After experiencing seizure which lasts for a few minutes, the individual comes may back to normalcy and avoid visiting the doctor. As it is hard to predict the occurrence of these seizures, it may affect a person’s normal life.

What if the next time you get seizures when you are in the middle of an important meeting at the office or while partying with your friends or driving on a highway or while crossing a busy traffic junction? Ignoring epilepsy can be dangerous. Sadly, some people even today look at epilepsy as a contagious disease and a demonic possession and resort to discrimination.

Prevention

Epilepsy is not usually a complex condition to treat. Seizures can be controlled and with the appropriate use of anti-seizure medications and treatment. It is estimated that nearly one-fourth of epilepsy cases are preventable. Follow these tips.

• Have uninterrupted sleep of 6-8 hours every day.
• Set a sleep schedule and stick to it.
• Beat the stress with relaxation techniques and meditation.
• Stay away from bright flashy lights, video games and other visual stimuli.
• Be active and follow a healthy diet plan

New cases of epilepsy caused by birth injury can be reduced if adequate perinatal care is taken. If you suspect you had a seizure, do not neglect it, consult your doctor at the earliest.

Dr. Vishakhadatta Mathur Kumaraswamy
Consultant- Neurology
Columbia Asia Hospital Sarjapur Road

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Bangalore, 18 November 2020: On the occasion of National Epilepsy Day, Aster RV Hospital, a multi-specialty quaternary care hospital in Bengaluru, has launched a specialised Epilepsy Clinic in the city. The clinic will have certified epileptologists trained in adult and paediatric epilepsy, supported by a multi-disciplinary team to address the complex needs of both adults and children suffering from epilepsy. Patients can access specialized treatment for new onset seizure, complex epilepsy, epilepsy surgery, PNES treatment and ketogenic diet plan.

Epilepsy is the fourth most common neurological disease in India with an estimated incidence of about 12 million patients in India. This amounts to a whopping 1/5^th of the global burden. Social discrimination, stigma and lack of awareness about the treatment options available to cure or manage epilepsy patients remain some of the major issues in reducing the burden of epilepsy in India.

Dr. Keni Ravish Rajiv, Consultant – Neurologist and Epileptologist, Aster RV Hospital said, “With medical advancements, it is entirely possible to manage epilepsy and even completely cure it. However there are still some myths and superstitions around seizures or fits, with some people still believing that it is caused by a ghost possession or mental illness. With the launch of this clinic, we aim to create more awareness about epilepsy, acceptance and relief from this condition, and reduce some of the social discrimination faced by epileptic patients in schools, workplaces, marital life etc.”

Aster launches world class Epilepsy Clinic :

It is estimated that about 7-14 out of 1000 people in developing countries are suffering from active epilepsy at any given moment throughout the world. “Despite the high numbers, the number of people who are able to access proper treatment for epilepsy is less. In India, the treatment gap is estimated to range from 22% in urban areas to as high as 90% in rural areas. It is important that these people gain access to trained epileptologists backed by a multi-disciplinary team where mental health and the co-morbidities associated with epilepsy will be addressed as well,” said Dr. Sreekanta Swamy, Head of Neurology, Aster RV Hospital

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Epilepsy is the fourth most common chronic disorder of the brain characterized by recurrent ‘seizures’ or ‘fits. The seizures are caused due to sudden, excessive and abnormal electrical discharges in the brain cells. It can affect people of all ages; however, each individual has its unique concerns and problems.

Epilepsy is a disorder of the brain characterized by an enduring predisposition to generate epileptic seizures and by the neuro-biologic, cognitive, psychological, and social consequences of this condition.

Epilepsy affects one’s overall health, safety

Having seizures and epilepsy can definitely affect one’s overall health, safety, relationships, work, etc., but the public perception of people with epilepsy and stigmas attached with the neurological disorder are often more traumatic than actual seizures.

This differentiation is crucial for better outcomes in treatment as non-epileptic events usually do not respond well to antiepileptic medications, and misdiagnosis leads to delay in initiating appropriate therapy. Confirming or ruling out epilepsy not only prevents unnecessary treatment and exposure to interventions but also reduces patient and family anxiety and possibly unnecessary stigma.

According to World Health Organization (WHO), about 50 million people have epilepsy across the world, out of which approximately 10 million people are in India. Although epilepsy is treatable, yet three-fourth of affected people in developing countries fail to receive the required treatment on time- it could be due to lack of resources or ignorance and lack of awareness.

India is home to about 10 million people with epilepsy.

Worldwide, it is estimated that 10·5 million children under 15 years have active epilepsy, representing about 25% of the global epilepsy population. Of the 3·5 million people who develop epilepsy annually, 40% are younger than 15 years, and more than 80% live in developing countries. India is home to about 10 million people with epilepsy.

A recent meta-analysis of published and unpublished studies puts the overall prevalence rate of epilepsy in India at 5.59 per 1,000 population. The prevalence has been found to be 1.9% in the rural population as compared with 0.6% in urban population. There are very few incidence studies from India, and the most recent one suggests an age standardized incidence rate of 27.3/100,000 per year

Management and treatment 

Unlike some bizarre and strange notions/stories prevalent about epilepsy in our country, we need to highlight it as a serious medical condition which requires immediate medical intervention and is mostly treatable with medications, particularly anticonvulsant drugs. The critical thing about epilepsy is that one should not delay and initiate the treatment as soon as it is diagnosed. This can prevent any further deterioration of the condition.

Usually the type of treatment prescribed will depend on several factors, including the frequency and severity of the seizures and the person’s age, overall health, and medical history, etc. But, if the seizures are not controlled through medicines, a surgery may be recommend. Infact, for thousands of epilepsy patients, brain surgery can be the best option to end seizures. It may significantly improve patient’s quality of life.

Numerous types of surgery are available to treat epilepsy including:

1. Resective Surgery – It is the most common type of surgery for treating epilepsy. Using resective surgery, a surgeon can surgically remove the part of your brain where seizures happen. They remove an area, a brain lesion or a brain lobe, which is roughly the size of a golf ball. The most common type of resective surgery is a temporal lobectomy. It is also the most successful form of surgery for epilepsy which reduces the number of seizures while limiting your risk of permanent brain damage.

2. Deep Brain Stimulation Surgery – Deep brain stimulation (DBS) therapy is a surgical treatment which aims to reduce seizures not controlled with medication and where surgery to treat the cause of seizures is not possible. It is ideal for people whose epilepsy is difficult to treat, and who cannot have epilepsy surgery to separate or remove the part of the brain that causes seizures. DBS therapy involves implanting electrodes into specific areas of the brain, and then stimulating these areas with small regular electrical impulses.

Dr. Sumit Singh
Director, Neurosciences
Agrim institute of neurosciences
Artemis Hospital, Gurugram

The post Epilepsy – common chronic disorder of the brain appeared first on Health Vision.

Choking

Treatment:

•  Remove the food or loose teeth struck at throat using finger. Encourage coughing.
• If this fails, the victim has to bend over with head lower than the chest. Slap him between the shoulder blades using heel of the hand.
• If this fails, stand behind him clench your fist and put the thumb inward between the navel and bottom of the breast bone.
• Hold your fist with other hand, pull towards you with a quick upward and inward thrust from the elbows.
• Repeat up to 5 times.

Drowning

Drowning is the result of complete immersion of the nose and mouth in water. Water enters the windpipe and lungs, clogging the lungs completely.

Treatment:

• Act quickly. Remove sea weeds and mud from the nose and throat Start artificial respiration.
• Turn the victim face down with head to one side and arms stretched beyond his head, raise the middle part of the body with your hands round the belly. This to cause water to drain out of lungs.
• Remove wet clothes, keep the body warm
• Shift the casaulty to the Hospital as quickly as possible.

Fainting

Unconsciousness which may be sudden or the casualty may feel giddy and limp before fall. This common incident is due to an insufficient supply of blood to the brain – due to fall in blood pressure (unpleasant sight, a fright or bad news can also causes fainting)

The warning signs are

• A person may become pale
• He may yawn frequently
• Skin is cold and damp
• Beads of sweat appear on the face, neck and hands.

Treatment

• Get the head quickly to the ground, legs up so that circulation of blood to the brain increases. See that there is plenty of fresh air.
• Loosen the clothing around the neck, waist and chest. 1901   Give tea/coffee to drink

Epilepsy

Treatment

• Remove any objects against which he might injure himself.
• Place the handle of a spoon or other hard object wrapped in a hand kerchief between his back teeth to prevent the casualty from tongue biting
• Wipe away the froth from the mouth

Read more on World health organisation’s tips on  Medical kit and toilet items

To know more about first aid click here

K K Pradeep
Tejus crisis and Trauma Foundation

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Why there is an increase in Epilepsy in Bengaluru? 

November 17, 2019 is observed as a National Epilepsy Day to raise awareness about epilepsy disease. At Sakra, over the last year around 2000 patients have been treated for Epilepsy. The incidence of the disease has increased by 5% which means about 5 Lac people in Bangalore are suffering from Epilepsy. Increase in epilepsy in Bengaluru are due to reasons such as

1. Life style problems – lack of sleep, exposure to mobiles and smartphones, Night life.

2. Sleep disturbances.

3. Migration and Medical tourism for specialty care.

How to differentiate Epilepsy from Seizures?

2 or more unprovoked seizures occurring 24 hours apart is called Epilepsy. Seizures are manifestations of brain due to abnormal surge in the electrical activity of brain.

How to identify if a person is epileptic?

Diagnosis of epilepsy is made by clinical history and supportive investigations. Episodes of loss of consciousness with posturing of limbs, jerks with frothing, tongue bite or incontinence of bowel or bladder constitutes grandmal or generalised seizure. In focal seizures one may have blank spells. Confusion, starring, stereotyped automatisms along with loss of memory. Rarely can have recurrent falls, speech problems, marching sensory symptoms in limbs and visual problems.

Risk factors for an epileptic person suffering from diabetes include – Hypoglcemic seizures (severe low blood sugar cause seizures), Stroke and seizures, Electrolyte imbalance due to uncontrolled Diabetes.

Prevention – Good control and monitoring of sugars can reduce risk of seizures

Treatments: Various medications are available for control of epilepsy. If seizure free for 3-5 years medications can be slowly tapered and stopped in 60-70 % of cases. If not, one has to look for surgical options which consists of tests like video EEG, MRI brain, SPECT and PET scan and intracranial EEG.

Case Studie: 47-year-old woman had complex partial seizures from the age of 13 years. Initially well controlled with medications. She got married and had uneventful pregnancy. Later from the age of 40 her seizures increased and did not respond to multiple medications. She underwent work up for epilepsy surgery and found to be suffering from a condition called Hippocampal Sclerosis, a kind of scar causing seizures in temporal lobe. She was offered surgery to cure her epilepsy. But she was scared and postponed for few years. Later when things became worse, she volunteered for surgery and became seizure free. She is off medications for past 6 months.

Dr Shiva Kumar. R
Neurologist & Epileptologist,
Sakra World Hospital, Bengaluru

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Ahmedabad

Lack of knowledge of anti-epileptic drugs, poverty, cultural beliefs, stigma, poor health infrastructure, and shortage of trained professionals contribute to the treatment gap, according to experts. As a part of the campaign, Dr Lomesh Bhirud of Surat stressed on the need to take Epilepsy patients to neurologists rather than risking their lives by taking them to Bhuvas.

Dr Vishal Jogi of Ahmedabad reiterated that the latest technological advancements have made Epilepsy completely curable.  Dr Amit Patanvadiya from Surat emphasized on the need for using proper anti-epileptics to control epileptic attacks.Dr YC Shah from Ahmedabad spoke about various common myths associated with epilepsy. Dr Kaushik Rana of Vadodara supported the latest research on epilepsy and urged patients and caretakers not to get panicky.Dr. Malay Ghodasara of Rajkot urged patients to avail of modern treatment, and not to opt for traditional rituals for treatment.

Doctors from Uttar Pradesh were also roped in for the awareness campaign. Dr Ashish Tiwari from Varanasi provide valuable insights into the signs and symptoms of the disease. Dr. Arun Kumar Singh from Lucknow reiterated that there was no need to fear Epilepsy anymore.Dr Sanjeev Suri of Kanpur spoke about the various stigmas that surround the disorder, and urged people to treat it like just any other disease.

 Epilepsy affects 14 people per 1,000 population in India, the majority of them children and young adults, and in rural areas. An estimated 12 million people in India are epileptics. In fact, the country is home to one of every six people suffering from Epilepsy worldwide.What has made Epilepsy a bigger problem than it is a lack of awareness and social stigma attached with the disorder. According to estimates, 60% of the Persons with Epilepsy consult a doctor after suffering a seizure. However, the corresponding number is just 10% in rural areas. Further, a staggering 95% of the people with active Epilepsy do not receive appropriate treatment for their condition, leading to large treatment gap.

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