Alcoholic epilepsy: symptoms, treatment methods

In the case of serious alcohol dependence and excessive alcohol consumption, a disease called alcoholic epilepsy can develop . Most often it manifests itself in the form of seizures, which are accompanied by convulsions. Initially, they appear only during moments of strong alcoholic intoxication, but over time they can be regular. This is due to the occurrence of irreversible pathological processes in the human brain.  

Experts call alcohol poisoning of the body as the main cause of epileptic seizures. The situation is exacerbated if a person consumes not only pure alcohol, but also its substitutes with a high content of fusel oils.

Symptoms of the manifestation of alcoholic epilepsy

Like most diseases, alcoholic epilepsy has its own characteristic features. In general, it resembles the usual course of the disease, with the exception of some symptoms.

– First of all, it is a personality disorder. The patient manifests aggression towards others, picky, resentfulness. – Sleep disorders, speech disorders, and behavioral changes are also observed. These symptoms are not typical for classic epilepsy.

In addition, during an attack, you may experience:

• Involuntary seizures;
• Chest cramps;
• Pale skin and blue lips;
• Screams and wheezing.

Most often, an attack is accompanied by a throwing back of the head, which is fraught with the sinking of the tongue into the throat and the onset of suffocation. After an attack, in the case of alcoholic epilepsy, sleep disturbance, lack of appetite, and migraine are noted. Memories of the attack are often absent.

The main treatments for alcoholic epilepsy

In most cases, the treatment of alcoholic epilepsy is reduced to the elimination of the causes of its occurrence and the conduct of drug therapy. Seizures are well controlled through medication and diet. The most difficult cases may require surgery.

The main objective of the treatment is to reduce and gradually eliminate the occurrence of seizures. Also, patients are recommended to undergo psychological consultations, which are aimed at eliminating alcohol from the patient’s life.

If the treatment is not started on time, irreversible changes in the body may occur. First of all, it is chronic alcoholism, against which the destruction of organs occurs. Ultimately, this can be fatal.

First aid rules for alcoholic epilepsy

First aid during an incipient attack comes down to maintaining the patient’s health. This means that all measures must be taken to prevent the person from falling and hitting sharp objects or the floor. If the place of the fall turned out to be safe, then you should not transfer the patient. Also, experts do not recommend restraining seizures with the use of force.

First of all, you need to make sure that the head is slightly tilted. For this, soft objects are placed under it. It is also necessary to ensure that the tongue does not sink into the throat and does not block the breath. To do this, turn the head to one side. Doctors recommend unbuttoning the shirt, loosen the belts.

If vomiting occurs, the whole body should be turned on its side. This is to prevent flooding with vomit. On average, the duration of an attack does not exceed 1-3 minutes. But in some situations, they can be repeated and follow continuously one after another. In this case, you must immediately call a specialist.