Epilepsy (popularly called epileptic seizures) is not difficult to treat, but it needs to be diagnosed and treated properly.
According to Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Van Lieu, Head of the Department of Neurology, Tam Anh General Hospital (Hanoi), epilepsy is a common disease with many diverse causes such as genetic factors and trauma.
Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Van Lieu is consulting a patient.
Common types of epilepsy and signs of recognition
Signs of epilepsy are very diverse.
Partial epilepsy
Partial seizures occur when part of the brain has abnormal activity.
Simple partial epilepsy: Patients may have spasticity or convulsions in one part of the body, abnormal vision, sense of smell, anxiety, fear of something for unknown reasons, feelings
Complex partial epilepsy: When a seizure occurs, most patients almost lose consciousness and do not know that a seizure is occurring.
Generalized epilepsy
Generalized seizures occur when there is too much electrical discharge in the brain, affecting the entire brain.
Generalized tonic and convulsive seizures: This is a common form of epilepsy in adults, with quite clear manifestations and the easiest to recognize.
Absence seizures: This form of epilepsy often occurs in children, but is rare in adults.
West syndrome: A form of generalized epilepsy that often occurs in infants from 3 to 8 months old, then stops and switches to another form of epilepsy when the child turns 4 years old.
This special form of epilepsy causes children to have delayed physical and intellectual development, affecting their future learning process and possibly leading to autism.
Methods of diagnosing epilepsy
To diagnose epilepsy, experts will first perform a clinical examination, then combine it with modern technical means to get the most accurate results.
Clinical examination
– Explore the patient’s medical history and clinical symptoms.
– Check the patient’s behavior and motor skills to determine the type of epilepsy that person may have.
– Blood tests: From blood test results, doctors can also help patients know signs of infection, genetics and some other disorders that may be related to epilepsy.
Perform various tests to clearly see damage in the brain
After a clinical examination, the doctor will let the patient perform the following additional procedures to get the most accurate results.
Electroencephalogram: This is considered the most common method used in the process of diagnosing epilepsy.
Computed tomography (CT) scan: With this method, the doctor will see cross-sectional images of the brain and brain lesions such as tumors or brain bleeding.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): Is a way to use radio waves and magnets to help experts look in detail at the brain, detecting damage or abnormalities in the brain – the cause of seizures.
Epilepsy treatment at Tam Anh General Hospital
Many studies have documented the difficulties and disadvantages that people with epilepsy are facing, largely due to misconceptions and incorrect attitudes of the whole community about this disease.
Associate Professor, Doctor of Medicine II Nguyen Van Lieu affirmed: `Epilepsy needs to be treated and can be completely cured. The cure rate is quite high, possibly up to 70%. That means about 70% of patients can be cured.
Many cases are treated successfully, their seizures stop and they return to normal life.
Discovering that he had epilepsy was a big shock for Mr. Duy.
Mr. Duy was fortunate to know and be directly examined and treated by Dr. Lieu.
Mr. Duy shared that for more than 4 years, he no longer knows what seizures are.
Epilepsy treatment methods at Tam Anh General Hospital
Common epilepsy treatment methods are medical treatment and surgical treatment.
Treatment of epilepsy with internal medicine
Most epilepsy patients will be given antiepileptic drugs to limit seizures.
Treatment is by surgery
For some patients who are drug resistant or drug treatment is not effective and still have seizures, surgery is needed.
After completing the examination process, checking to see if the patient can fully meet the surgical criteria, determining the patient’s damaged locations, surgery will be performed.
According to Associate Professor, Doctor of Medicine II Nguyen Van Lieu: `Epilepsy is not a mental disease because in addition to seizures, the patient can still study and live normally. Regardless of the circumstances, the patient always
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