Epilepsy types and treatment

Epilepsy is a central nervous system (CNS) disorder that makes the brain's activity abnormal. Anyone can develop epilepsy, but it most commonly occurs in young children and older adults. World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that over 50 million people worldwide suffer with epilepsy, making it one of the most prevalent neurological disorders. It is caused by seizures (sudden rush in abnormal electrical activity in the brain), unusual behavior, or loss of awareness. If a person has two or more seizures, they are diagnosed with epilepsy. 

Types Of Seizures

There are two different types of seizures; they are generalized seizures and focal seizures. 

1. Generalized seizures

It appears in all areas of the brain resulting in the loss of consciousness. This seizure is divided into several subtypes:

Tonic seizures: They may affect your consciousness and usually affect the muscles of your back, arm, and legs by causing muscle stiffness. 

Atonic seizures: It is also called drop seizures, caused by loss of muscle control by affecting the legs' muscles, making the person fall to the ground. 

Clonic seizures: These involve rhythmic, jerking muscle movements that affect the arms, legs, and face. Usually, influences in the face, neck, and arms.

Myoclonic seizures: It usually affect the upper body, arms, and legs. Myoclonic seizures usually occur as sudden, brief jerks or twitches (contraction of the muscle fibers) with drooling, tongue biting, and incontinence symptoms.

Tonic-clonic seizures: It is also called grand mal seizures. They sometimes cause loss of bladder control or biting of the tongue. This condition can make a person cry out, fall to the ground, lose consciousness, and it has rhythmic muscle jerks or cramps. 

Absence seizures: It is also called petit mal seizures. In most cases, it occurs in children and adolescents. People with absence seizures may stop talking or moving and may not respond to their surroundings or questions. This often occurs 100 times per day and causes a brief loss of awareness.

2. Focal seizures

It occurs due to abnormal brain activity in one part of the brain. It is also called partial seizures. These seizures fall into two categories, 

Simple focal seizure: It causes a change in sensation (taste or smell) or twitching. It usually affects a small part of the brain.

Complex focal seizure: Persons with this condition may be unable to respond to the questions making them confused or dazed. 

Secondary focal seizure: Initiates in a part of the brain which then spreads to both sides of the brain. 

Treatment 

Treatment may help with a few seizures or stop them completely. Your treatment plan will be based on parameters like the severity of the symptoms and the other health condition. The treatment option includes, 

• Anti-epileptic (anticonvulsant, antiseizure) drugs

• Vagus nerve stimulator device

• Ketogenic diet

• Brain surgery

Levigress 750mg tablet is used to treat the condition called epilepsy. It works by decreasing the abnormal signals generated by the brain, resulting in seizures. It aids in abnormal activity at particular brain regions and halts the spread of electrical signals that lead to seizures. However, it lessens seizure episodes but does not cure epilepsy. The common side effects of Levigress 750mg tablet are nose and throat inflammation, drowsiness, nausea, fatigue, the sensation of rotation or spinning, insomnia, nervousness, or irritability.