Epilepsy – is a mental psychical illness, one of the most widespread diseases of the brain. The main symptom of epilepsy is the recurrent convulsions on a background of the impaired consciousness. The disease is known for a long time Avicenna gave it the name. According to various sources from 0.5 to 1% of the world population is suffering from epilepsy.
Causes of epilepsy occurrence.
The occurrence of epilepsy is mainly determined by genetic predisposition and influence of external and internal factors of toxicity (infection, intoxication, birth and postnatal injury).
Therefore, the epilepsy is divided into primary (genuine, idiopathic, essential) with unknown causes and secondary, so-called symptomatic caused by the disease of the brain (trauma, consequences of disease, brain tumors).
Symptoms of Epilepsy.
Most characteristic symptom of epilepsy – is an epileptic attack.
- Generalized seizures (bilateral symmetrical – without first expression, and partial, with a first expression). Symptoms of generalized epileptic seizures are characterized by the following: loss of consciousness (sudden), convulsions (clonic-tonic spasms – rhythmic contractions of the muscles of the body, including limbs and face) it is possible the bite of tongue, cheeks, pink salivations, temporary cessation of breathing, involuntary loss of urine and less of feces, random motion of one part of the body.
- Absence epilepsy. Short (absent) attack. In the case of absence epilepsy during the crisis the seizures and convulsions are missing. The main symptom of epilepsy in this case when the person freezes (stops in mid-sentence, or not finish the movement) – the consciousness is turned off for a few seconds, the person ceases to move, speak, write, the person has a staring or vacant look directed at a single point. Since this attack is very short the surrounding people are not always able to follow it. After the attack termination the patient continues to do that he made up till the attack and does not remember anything about the attack.
- Epileptic partial seizures (Jacksonian epilepsy). Usually an attack takes place while maintaining consciousness, symptoms of Jacksonian epilepsy – the arising seizures are localized in the leg or arm. Over time, during the process of disease progression the partial epileptic convulsions may become generalized.
Epileptic crisis (epileptic attack) may be preceded by an aura – prelude crisis. Aura can be sensorial, vegetative, sensitive, motor and speech:
- Sensorial aura – before the attack beginning the functions of the sense organs are intact;
- Vegetative aura – they feel the internal organs;
- Sensitive aura – disorder of the sensitivity of individual parts of the body;
- Motor aura – is spontaneous, movements of the same type, without leave, repetitive of limbs, trunk, facial muscles, etc.;
- Aura of speech – are pronounced a series of unrelated words.
If the epileptic convulsions are involuntarily without periods of improvement then it is developed the epileptic status, which can last from half an hour to a day. This condition requires the emergency care.
The effective methods of treatment for epilepsy in the classic medicine (allopathic), unfortunately, currently not exist. Usually, the treatment is limited to the prescription of medicines, which inhibit the activity of spasms and remove the apparition of external symptoms, making easier the patient’s condition, but does not cure the disease and possibly adversely affect the psychological state and is manifested as a deformation of the personality.
Epilepsy treatment is focused primarily on the creation of conditions to restore the lost energy balance, normalization of mental and emotional human state and correction of impaired functions of human internal organs.
The methods of epilepsy treatment that are used in our clinic of oriental medicine are: reflexotherapy, phytotherapy. In each case the range of methods used can be extended.
It is important to note the fact that the treatment epilepsy is complex and difficult, but also a solvable problem with the combined efforts of physicians and patients.