Frequently Asked Questions about Epilepsy
Epilepsy FAQs: When it comes to seizures you cannot say you have complete control over them. In other words, seizures are not under your control. They mostly occur randomly or suddenly. Though one cannot precisely say that they can prevent seizures from occurring, they can reduce the number of seizures episodes. The following FAQs will help you understand seizures in a better manner.
Is epilepsy a serious disorder?
When seizures become severe and prolong and come in episodes, parents become anxious as their child’s life become miserable. With timely intervention, proper care and treatment – a majority of the seizures in children can be managed. However, some seizures – such as those continuing for long can become life-threatening. One such type of epilepsy is status epilepticus.
Why repeated seizures are dangerous for children?
When seizures occur frequently with repeated episodes and increasing severity and time duration, they become troublesome. According to specialists, if seizures continue for long and frequently, they may lead to intellectual disability and developmental delay in children.
When should one seek immediate medical care for seizures?
Anyone suffering from seizures should seek medical care immediately even if they experience just one or two seizures for the first time. If a seizure lasts for more than five minutes or when the symptoms get worse, one should straightaway seek emergency medical care.
How to know whether something is triggering seizures?
The best way to understand whether the seizure or epilepsy is due to something (triggers of epilepsy) is to become aware of the circumstance in which seizure is occurring. It can be anything ranging from a particular setting, situation, environment or circumstances. If a person is experiencing a seizure, one should see what that person was doing at that time; had that person encountered something strange; was there any tough, stressful or tense situation that the person had encountered. Bystanders or persons associated with the person experiencing seizure should make a note of all these situations. This is the best way to keep a tract of all seizures’ triggers.
What is reflex Epilepsy?
Reflex Epilepsy: A seizure that occurs in response to some situation, circumstance, or to a specific stimulus is called reflex epilepsy or reflex seizure. This type of epilepsy occurs consistently in response to a stimulus – such as high-volume sound and lights.
Reflex epilepsy or a reflex seizure is defined as seizures that manifest in response to a stimulus including a specific circumstance or situation, or trigger. For instance, the best example of reflex epilepsy is photosensitive epilepsy. This type of epilepsy occurs in children who receive a particular type of stimulus – high-intensity lights or flashing lights. They develop seizures when children get repeatedly exposed to high-intensity lights
What are imitators of Epilepsy – Seizures Mimics?
Some recurrent paroxysmal events and a wide range of conditions may mimic or imitate seizures. Therefore, in a majority of the cases epilepsy is misdiagnosed. The rate of misdiagnosis of epilepsy is high throughout the world – especially in children. In addition, there are some conditions wherein both epileptic and non-epileptic seizures can co-exist. There is a long list of conditions that mimic seizures. The most common among those include syncope (fainting), anoxic seizures, vasovagal syncope, reflex anoxic syncope, breath-holding attacks, hyperventilation syncope, daydreaming, out of body experiences, panic attacks, panic attacks, non-epileptic seizures, Hypnogogic jerks, sleep-related rhythmic movement disorders, parasomnias, REM Sleep disorders, Paroxysmal movement disorders – tics, stereotypies, Paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia, Paroxysmal nonkinesigenic dyskinesia, Paroxysmal exercise induced dyskinesia, episodic ataxias, migraine associated seizures, and so on.
If you have any additional Epilepsy FAQs, then consult Dr. Bilal for additional information.
Frequently Asked Questions about Painkillers
What are the side effects of ibuprofen?
In general, ibuprofen doesn’t cause any prominent side effects unless the person taking the medicine is sensitive to this drug. However, the potential side effects associated with ibuprofen usage may include the following: rash, skin redness or skin blisters. If someone takes ibuprofen and notices skin blisters, rashes or other skin issues, they should immediately see their doctor. People who are at risk of internal bleeding with a family history of disorder should avoid taking ibuprofen. One of the potential side effects of NSAIDs use is internal bleeding – intestinal bleeding. People who are taking anticoagulant medicines or blood thinners such as warfarin or coumadin or corticosteroid medicine such as prednisone are at risk of internal bleeding.
Do your headaches get worst if you take ibuprofen for long?
Knowing this is important because of its significance. Now the big question as we all know is this – what happens when we take pain relieving medicines such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen for long. For instance, many people who take more and more pain-relieving medicines several times a week get into taking more. In other words, the more they take, the more they depend on the medicine. This means prolong and excessive usage of pain medicines can make the situation worse. How this happens means when they stop taking medicines in between their headaches become increasingly troublesome with every passing day. The circumstances may lead to a period when headaches come with high intensity – rebound headaches. One must seek immediate consultation with a neurologist if they develop rebound headaches.
Which is the most likely side effect of acetaminophen?
People who take acetaminophen regularly should take safety measures into consideration. They should at least take the medicine in apt dosage – which is safe for most of the people who use it. If you have any doubts regarding the safe dose – what amount would be best and how long can you take that – then discuss with your general physician. Many people use acetaminophen quite excessively in India without even caring about its potential side effect – that is liver damage. The best bet would be to always stick to the drug description – and follow its usage instructions. If you need more or higher dose or want to use it more frequently then inform your doctor regarding the dose, frequency and duration of usage.
Does Frequent usage of NSAIDs increase the risk of having a heart attack?
Anything in excess is problematic and is bound to increase the risk of serious side effects. As far as NSAIDs are concerned, excessive, frequent and usage exceeding the recommended dose have been shown to increase the risk of brain stroke and heart attacks. Usage according to the drug instructions and expert suggestions (within) recommended dose and frequency do not cause side effects. Therefore, people should use NSAIDs occasionally whenever they are required that too only for a few days. If you want to use it begin with small dose and continue it for a few days. Excessive intake, too much dependency on pain-relieving medicines and progressive increase in dosage for long time may increase the risk of potential and serious side effects. People who have heart disease should talk to their doctor prior to taking NSAIDs.
Can You Take Paracetamol with other drugs?
Taking paracetamol with other painkillers: You can take paracetamol with other drugs – such as codeine, aspirin and ibuprofen that don’t contain paracetamol. If you take paracetamol with other medicines that contain paracetamol, then you may have a risk of overdose.
What is the mode of action of ibuprofen?
NSAIDs (Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs) like naproxen and ibuprofen work by blocking some pain killers. NSAIDs inhibit the production of prostaglandins that are linked to both pain and inflammation. Ibuprofen is helpful in addressing a wide range of conditions such as back pain, lupus, headaches, body pains, arthritis pain and general body pain.
