Symptoms of epilepsy in children and adults

Epilepsy is a serious and chronic condition. When the first attack occurs, you should expect that they will recur again. In some situations, the breaks between attacks, subject to medical therapy and a special diet, can last for several years, sometimes even tens.

The causes of epilepsy

Experts note that epilepsy belongs to the category of congenital diseases. It can even occur in newborns. True, there are a number of situations in which it can be acquired over time or already in adulthood. For this reason, epilepsy is divided into primary and secondary. Primary belongs to the category of congenital. 

Its signs appear already in early childhood and are caused by irreversible processes in the brain associated with changes in nerve cells and electronic activity. Most seizures occur between the ages of 5-10 years or adolescence. Congenital epilepsy is amenable to drug therapy, which over time can completely eliminate the recurrence of seizures.

Secondary epilepsy is classified as acquired. For example, alcoholic epilepsy. Under the influence of alcohol poisoning, irreversible damage also occurs in the human brain. As a result, first convulsive seizures occur during intoxication, then they can appear without alcohol. In this case, for the treatment of the disease, it is necessary to exclude the causes that cause it. 

Common symptoms of epilepsy

In general, the disease is accompanied by a number of symptoms that are characteristic of both primary and secondary diseases. First of all, these are severe cramps that spread throughout the body. The attack starts unexpectedly and lasts for several minutes.

Experts note that before the onset of seizures, the patient may experience sleep disturbances, lack of appetite, headaches, and general weakness.

Also, doctors say that for each patient, all attacks have their own character and course. They call it an aura. Before losing consciousness, a person feels certain sensations, which are the same every time.

Most often, seizures are accompanied by loss of consciousness and a fall, which can lead to injury. There are also squeezed sensations in the chest area, wheezing, groans, and often screaming.

In severe cases, foam may appear from the mouth, the head may be thrown back, the tongue may sink into the throat. For this reason, care must be taken to keep the patient’s throat free. In addition to the main signs, there are also local ones, which appear depending on the type of disease.

Signs of alcoholic epilepsy

Alcoholic epilepsy is accompanied by a common set of symptoms, but it also has its own characteristic features. Among them, the occurrence of seizures during intoxication stands out. Disorder of consciousness, manifestation of aggression towards others. Also, experts note a loss of appetite, sleep disturbances, and the onset of depression.

Symptoms of epilepsy in newborns

Primary epilepsy is most difficult to diagnose in newborns. This is due to the implicit manifestation of the main features.

To diagnose the disease, it is important to know that infants with epilepsy may experience a number of symptoms:
• Fever;
• Rolling eyes;
• Involuntary urination;
• Weakness in the limbs or side of the body.

Also, a number of symptoms may be completely absent, so babies do not foam, cramps are not so clearly distinguished, there is no post-attack sleep.