Can epilepsy be cured?
Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disease resulting from epileptic brain damage or an individual predisposition. Epilepsy affects both men and women, is expressed in the malfunction of the brain, in which convulsions are possible throughout the body, and even loss of consciousness.
How is epilepsy treated?
In most cases, epileptic seizures can be controlled, reducing the negative consequences for a person’s health. For the treatment of epilepsy, one anticonvulsant drug (anticonvulsant) is prescribed, which the patient takes for a certain period of time, regularly. The choice of the drug is carried out on the basis of a medical examination and consultations of the attending physician. Each case of epilepsy is individual, so there is no general approach to the treatment of the disease.
The dose of the drug is calculated by the doctor, as well as the frequency of administration. It is usually recommended to use the minimum dose of medication at first, gradually increasing it over time. In this way, the reaction of the body to the drug is checked, thanks to which it is possible to minimize the risks to the patient’s condition at an early stage.
The duration of therapy depends on the nature of the disease. If it is a benign form of epilepsy, the drug, in most cases, is used for 2-3 years. With an unfavorable course of the disease, the duration of the course can reach 5-10 years.
Can epilepsy be permanently cured?
The ability to reduce the impact of epilepsy on the patient’s life depends on the nature of the disease. Unfortunately, there are forms of epilepsy that are difficult to treat. They can be identified by a number of signs: psychomotor delay, high frequency of seizures, their resistance to anticonvulsants. The patient may be prescribed anticonvulsants for a long time, with regular intake, but their effect will be minimal due to the complexity of the disease.
Therefore, the treatment of epilepsy directly depends on its form:
If it is benign epilepsy, the main focus is on complete seizure control, which can be achieved with proper therapy. Another important goal is to reduce the negative consequences of side effects that can be observed when taking anticonvulsants. They manifest themselves in the form of dizziness, lack of coordination, increased drowsiness, nausea, etc. It is not necessary to remind once again that when prescribing a particular drug, the patient’s body is carefully checked for allergies to the components of the medicines.
In the case of epilepsy, which is difficult to treat, a combination of several anticonvulsants is prescribed at once. Unfortunately, this is a necessity due to the difficulty of stopping seizures. The main efforts are aimed at protecting the body’s cognitive functions (memory, thinking, etc.) from the side effects of drugs. It is also important to reduce the frequency of seizures as much as possible so that they occur as infrequently as possible.
Contrary to popular belief, epilepsy can be cured. At the very least, take control of epileptic seizures, significantly reducing their impact on human health. But the choice of specific drugs and the total duration of therapy are established only after consultation with the doctor. And the nature of the disease affects the effectiveness and speed of treatment.