Partial epilepsy: seizures, symptoms
Partial epilepsy belongs to the category of partial epilepsy. She was first diagnosed and described by the English neurologist Jackson in 1863. After his work, attention to the study of this problem acquired a general character. Neurologists from Europe and Russia became interested in the course of the disease.
The main symptoms and signs of partial epilepsy
Like the underlying disease, partial epilepsy is characterized by the spontaneous onset of seizures in the form of seizures.
A distinctive feature of this disease is that seizures begin in a specific muscle group. After that, they move on to others, the sequence clearly corresponds to the location of the centers responsible for these muscles in the brain.
A distinctive feature of partial epilepsy is that during an attack the patient does not lose consciousness. He does not have urinary incontinence, head tipping, tongue biting and other symptoms that are characteristic of the classic disease. But after the end of the attack, the patient may develop temporary paralysis, which affects those areas where the convulsions have spread. In the event of a severe attack and the seizure of too large areas, the patient may lose consciousness. In this case, the attack becomes a classic one.
Also, partial epilepsy is characterized by frequent seizures, which are accompanied by numbness of certain muscle groups or severe pain. Most often, during diagnostic tests, doctors detect changes or diseases of the brain, which, together with seizures, makes it possible to clearly diagnose the disease.
The main causes of occurrence
In most cases, partial epilepsy is caused by other diseases. Attacks can be triggered by the presence in the brain of tumor formations, cysts, inflammation. Diseases such as cystitis, syphilis, tuberculosis or multiple abscesses can also provoke an attack.
Injuries received at different times can also affect the development of epilepsy, especially if the head is affected. Thus, partial epilepsy is secondary in nature and is due to external causes and diseases.
Diagnosis and treatment of the disease
Determining a diagnosis begins with an examination of the symptoms and diagnosis. It is rather difficult to determine partial epilepsy in the initial stages, since it can be both hysterical and serious seizures. In its classical manifestation, it is characterized by a reaction to other diseases, for this reason it is not defined as a separate disease. In most cases, diagnostics is associated with the study of seizures and the search for brain diseases.
Treatment of the disease can be divided into two directions. The first is classical drug therapy. It is associated with the prescription of drugs and diet, which will reduce or completely stop the onset of seizures.
If seizures continue to occur, surgery is necessary. In this case, in a clinical setting, craniotomy is performed. The operation is aimed at removing altered and scar tissue in the brain. All those areas that affect brain irritation are removed. In the case of a successful operation, the irritating factor is removed and the seizures gradually disappear. Over time, a person can return to his normal, familiar life.