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Epilepsy
- Days In Hospital 3 days
- Outside Hospital Stay 7 days
- Success Rate %
Minimum Cost
$ 3000
Maximum Cost.
$ 5000
Most Asked Procedures
Overview of Epilepsy in India
Epilepsy is a brain disorder caused by unusual brain activity resulting in unusual behavior of the patient, or seizures. Usually, the brain sends messages to the body nonstop to achieve a purposeful response. When brain activity becomes excessively abnormal, it results in an abnormal bodily response. This can also occur because of the presence of other medical conditions including low blood sugar. Therefore, to make a definitive diagnosis of epilepsy, all the medical conditions must be ruled out. Epilepsy is also classified according to the involvement of the entire brain or part of the brain. Worldwide, almost 50 million people are affected with epilepsy.
It is unclear what causes epilepsy in most cases, however, it is sometimes caused by a head injury, tumor, infection, or cerebral vascular accident. Many characteristics can increase a patient's risk for epilepsy. Most patients that are diagnosed with epilepsy will have multiple seizure events without a known cause. There are also treatment types that should be used based on the patient's suitability. Epilepsy can cause a lot of psychological difficulties and therefore proper education and counseling for the patients and caregivers is also part of the patient's treatment plan.
What Is Epilepsy?
Epilepsy is an ongoing (chronic) condition that causes repeated episodes of seizures from abnormally high levels of electrical discharges produced by damaged brain cells. Seizures occur with a burst of abnormal electrical activity in the brain. Seizures can involve changes in awareness, muscle control (muscles may twitch or jerk), sensations, emotions and behavior.
Epilepsy is also called a seizure disorder.
What Happens In Your Brain When You Have Epilepsy?
The cells in your brain act as messengers to and from all parts of your body. These messages convey information via an ongoing electrical impulse, which moves from cell to cell. Epilepsy interferes with this driving rhythm of electrical impulses. Instead, there are bursts of electrical energy - like an unpredictable electrical storm - between cells in one or more regions of your brain. This disorganised electrical activity results in changes in your awareness (including loss of awareness), sensations, emotions and movement.
Types of Epilepsy:
The classification of a seizure depends on which area and how extensive an area of the brain is involved, and what occurs to the individual during the seizure event. Seizures can be divided into two categories: generalized seizures (absence, atonic, tonic-clonic, myoclonic) and partial (simple and complex) seizures, both of which may happen to individuals who have seizures in childhood. There are several subtypes within the generalized and partial seizure categories in childhood, including:
- Focal seizures. Focal seizures happen when abnormal electrical brain function occurs in one or more areas of one hemisphere of the brain. Focal seizures are sometimes referred to as partial seizures. With focal seizures, particularly complex focal seizures, children may have an aura before the focal seizure takes place. The most common aura involves feelings such as deja vu, impending doom, fear or euphoria. Visual changes, hearing changes, or changes in the sense of smell can also be auras. The two types of focal seizures include:
- Simple focal seizures. The child's manifestations will vary based upon which area of the brain is engaged. If the abnormal electrical brain function occurs in the occipital lobe (the hindbrain section metabolically involved in visual perception), the child may experience a change. More frequently, however, more abnormal brain electrical activity posts are occurring in the muscles of the child. The abnormal electrical brain function is confined to an area of various muscle groups, such as fingers, or postural positions of the arms and leg. There are no losses of consciousness with this seizure type. The child may also manifest sweating, nausea, or be pale.
- Complex focal seizures. This seizure type often occurs in the temporal lobe of the brain, which is responsible for controlling emotions and memory functions. A complex focal seizure typically lasts one to two minutes. Consciousness is generally impaired or lost during a complex focal seizure. Impaired or lost consciousness is not the same as a child passing out. A child may appear as if they are having a seizure, and may not be aware of what is going on around them, but may engage in a variety of behaviors. The behaviors vary and can include gagging, lip smacking, running, screaming, crying, and/or laughing. When the child recovers, they may complain of tiredness or sleepiness after having a seizure. This is referred to as the postictal period.
- Generalised seizures. In generalised seizures, both sides of the brain are affected. A postictal state and a loss of consciousness follow the seizure. Among the several forms of generalised seizures are the following:
- Absence seizures (also known as petit mal seizures). In absence seizures, there is a brief altered state of consciousness accompanied by staring spells. In most cases, the child maintains the same posture during the seizure. The mouth and/or face may move, or the child's eyes may blink. Absence seizures typically last less than 30 seconds. When the seizure is over, the child is often unaware that anything has happened, and they resume activities as if nothing occurred. Absence seizures may occur multiple times during the day. This type of seizure is sometimes mistaken for a learning or behavior problem. Absence seizures most often begin between the ages of 4 and 12 years old.
- Atonic seizures (drop attacks). Atonic seizures are associated with a sudden loss of muscle tone that may result in the child falling from a standing position or dropping his/her head unexpectedly. During an atonic seizure the child is limp and not responsive.
- Generalized tonic-clonic seizures (also known as grand mal seizures) have a traditional phase progression, although not every seizure will go through these five phases. The flexing (contracting) phase includes the body, arms, and legs. The body subsequently goes through the extension (straightening) phase. There is a tremor (shaking) phase, followed by the clonic phase (involuntary muscle contraction and relaxation), and then the postictal phase. However, not every phase occurs in every seizure. The postictal phase is characterized by the child being sleepy, having visual or speaking problems, and experiencing headaches, fatigue, or body aches.
- Myoclonic seizures. Myoclonic seizures are characterized by a quick or sudden jerking movement of a group of muscles, which may happen in a cluster - meaning they occur for several days or several times a day.
- Infantile spasms. This uncommon seizure disorder occurs in infants less than 6 months old. These seizures happen frequently when an infant is either waking up or is trying to fall asleep. The infant would experience brief bouts of movement in the neck, trunk, or legs, lasting a few seconds. An infant with this particular seizure may have hundreds of seizures each day. This is a potentially serious issue that can have long-term consequences.
- Febrile seizures. Febrile seizures are seizures associated with fever and are not classified as epilepsy. However, a fever may trigger a seizure in a child who has been diagnosed with epilepsy. These seizures are common in children age 6 months through age 5 and there may be a family history of febrile seizures. Febrile seizures lasting less than 15 minutes are classified as "simple" febrile seizures and typically do not result in long-term neurologic impairment. Febrile seizures lasting longer than 15 minutes are classified as "complex" febrile seizures - and those toddlers or infants may have long-term neurologic changes.
Procedure:
Medication
Certain drugs are taken in epilepsy to manage the symptoms and those drugs are called Antiepileptic medications. These medications alter brain activity to prevent the uncontrolled behavior of patients.
Surgery
In cases when the medication is not responsive or effective action surgery is used to manage the symptoms of epilepsy. In surgery either part of the brain is taken out that is causing the symptoms or a device is placed in the brain to control the activity of the brain.
Dietary therapy
For some young or children patients diagnosed with epilepsy it is recommended to take a diet that is rich in fats. Fats are essential for brain development.
Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS)
In this approach, a device is implanted in the chest that emits signals to the vagus nerve in the neck. This nerve stimulation will lessen how severe seizures are; that is it will reduce how frequent seizures are.
Responsive Neurostimulation (RNS)
RNS is another implanted device that monitors abnormal brain activity and delivers signals to suppress seizures once it detects those patterns of abnormality.
Lifestyle Changes
Seizures can also be managed with lifestyle changes. Avoiding any activity that is known to induce epilepsy, sleeping adequately and managing stress can also help suppress or eliminate episodes of seizure.
Best Doctors in India
Dr Harnarayan Singh
Director and Head of the Department : Neurosurgery & Spine Surgery
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Cost of Epilepsy in India
The cost of Epilepsy Treatment in India for Indian patients is approximately USD 1,980 – USD 2,640, while the cost for International patients ranges between USD 2,970 – USD 3,630. The cost may vary based on each patient's condition and the underlying reasons for epilepsy, in addition to the cost of Epilepsy Treatment, which can depend on the facilities of the hospitals and the competency of the healthcare professionals.
Top Hospitals in India
Indications of Epilepsy:
Causes
Epilepsy occurs when alterations in the brain make it overly excitable or irritable. This causes the brain cells to fire abnormal electrical signals. This process creates multiple seizures that are episodic and unpredictable (a seizure that occurs once and never again is not epilepsy).
Epilepsy can be caused by a medical condition or injury that changes the brain; however, it may not have a known cause (idiopathic).
Common reasons for epilepsy are:
- Stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA);
- Dementia, such as Alzheimer's disease;
- Traumatic brain injury;
- Infections, including brain abscess, meningitis, encephalitis, and HIV/AIDS;
- Brain abnormalities at birth (congenital brain defect);
- Brain injury that happened at or around birth;
- Metabolism disorders present at birth (such as phenylketonuria);
- Brain tumors;
- Abnormal blood vessels developed in the brain;
- Any illness that damages/wrecks brain tissue; and,
- Seizure disorders that run in families (hereditary epilepsy).
Epileptic seizures can happen to anyone, at any age. However, they are frequent in young children and older adults aged 65 years or older, regardless of family history of seizures or epilepsy.
Symptoms
Individuals may express different symptoms. Some individuals may have basic staring episodes. Others may experience uncontrollable shaking and alterations in awareness (or convulsions). The type of seizure varies by which part of the brain is involved.
Most of the time, the seizures occurring in people with epilepsy will mimic prior seizures. A subset of people with epilepsy will have a strange sensation before each seizure. The phenoemenon can be tingiling of the skin, smelling an odor which is not really there, or other changes in emotions. This is an aura.
Your health care provider can tell you more about the specific category of seizure you have:
Absence seizures (also known as non-motor seizures) consist of seizures with a change in behavior without changing motor movement (ex. staring episodes). Absence seizures can happen along with generalized seizures.
A focal-onset seizure may occur without any change in awareness. Specific symptoms depend on the part of the brain that is affected. A focal-onset seizure can spread to the whole brain.
A generalized-onset seizure will lead to a seizure involving both sides of the brain and altered awareness. Abnormal movement of the whole body is usually present. There may be involuntary clenching of the jaw and loss of control over urine or bowel movements.
Risk Factors:
Risk factors for epilepsy include the following:
Family History of Epilepsy
A family history of epilepsy is a risk factor for epilepsy. A family member or very close relative with epilepsy can increase the risk of developing the disease.
Head Injury or Trauma
Head injuries caused by accidents or a fall can also lead to epilepsy. The victim has an even greater risk of developing epilepsy if the accident resulted in some damage to the brain.
Brain Infections
Brain infections create a higher risk of developing epilepsy. This infection can create a high fever and swelling which increase the possibility of the disease occurring.
Stroke or Vascular Disease
Loss of blood flow to the brain or damage of the brain tissue from a brain attack or damage to your brain's blood vessels are also risk factors for developing epilepsy.
Brain Tumors
Brain tumors can also disrupt the normal functioning of the brain and lead to an increased risk of epilepsy.
Developmental Brain Disorders
Disorders that affect the development of the brain can lead to an increased risk of epilepsy. These conditions typically occur in children, usually between infancy and five years of age.
Degenerative Conditions
Some degenerative brain disorders can bring about changes in the brain that may increase the risk of seizures. For instance, in old age, memory loss due to degeneration may lead to epilepsy.
Drug & Alcohol Use
Some medications are associated with an increased risk of epilepsy and people who use more alcohol than is recommended are at greater risk of developing epilepsy.
Childhood Febrile Seizures
Having febrile seizures during childhood can lead to a slightly greater risk of developing epilepsy later in life.