Research Paper on Epilepsy
Epilepsy has been around for a while but has not been aware of due to improper medicine, and lack of knowledge of this has left us with many questions about how long it has been around. But, in today’s world, we have the knowledge of epilepsy and have advanced medicine to help lessen the effects of epilepsy. Today I will be explaining the risk factor and the cause of the disease, the signs and symptoms, how it is detected, treatment, and prevention.
According to Mayo Clinic’s research on “Epilepsy,” some of the risk factors for epilepsy or increased risk for epilepsy are family history, brain infection, and head trauma. These factors can cause a high risk in epilepsy because, with family history, genetics can cause the child to be at a higher risk of developing seizures during childhood or later in life. In addition, with a brain infection, the person could develop epilepsy at a young age. On Mayo Clinic website it says that “infections such as meningitis, which causes inflammation in your brain and spinal cord, can increase your risk” this is true because this infection attacks part of the brain, meningitis can be very life-threatening, but if surviving this infection it can lead to some problems in the near future, especially if the person has it at a young age. Finally, head trauma can be responsible for many things, but sometimes it can cause seizures if the person hits their head on the right spot, which can cause the episode.
Causes of epilepsy, according to the Mayo Clinic, include prenatal injury, head trauma, and brain abnormalities. Why prenatal injury can cause epilepsy; according to Mayo Clinic, they say that “Before birth, babies are sensitive to brain damage that could be caused by several factors, such as an infection in the mother, poor nutrition or oxygen deficiencies.” Knowing this, we now know why some children get it when they are very young and hopefully can catch it in time before it gets severe in childhood. With head trauma, as stated in the previous paragraph, if the person has hit their head, it can cause the person to have epilepsy. An example of this is when a person gets into a car accident and hits their head on the back seat with force; it will cause the brain to crash into the skull, which can cause damage. Another cause is brain abnormalities in Mayo clinic; they say that “Abnormalities in the brain, including brain tumors or cavernous malformations, can cause epilepsy.” Another cause noted by Mayo Clinic is that “Stroke is the leading cause of epilepsy in adults older than age 35.” When having a stroke or tumor, it can cause affect part of the brain depending on what size of the tumor is and how bad the stroke is. These can factor into having a seizure.
Cameron Boyce was a famous actor who had starred in “Jessie,” “Descendants,” and many other movies and shows. Unfortunately, in 2019 Cameron Boyce passed away due to a seizure. Cameron has had his first seizure at 16, and his seizures were at night when it happened. “Cameron Boyce has had epilepsy and that he died from a seizure,” Cameron Boyce’s parents stated in the article “How Does Someone – like Cameron Boyce – Die from Epilepsy? A Neurosurgeon Explains” by Julie Mazziotta. In this article, it says that Cameron Boyce would be classified under SUDEP, as it says a SUDEP is when it is a Sudden Unexpected Death from Epilepsy. Cameron Boyce suddenly died in his sleep from epilepsy which is why he is classified under the SUDEP. Even though what caused his death is unknown, science has helped people realize some of the signs and symptoms; according to Mayo Clinic, some signs and symptoms are Temporary Confusion, Loss of Consciousness or Awareness, Stiff muscles, and a staring spell. When a person has a seizure, one of these things or all of these symptoms can happen. When these symptoms occur, they can be severe or very simple and last a couple of seconds to maybe even a minute.
There are many ways to detect a seizure; some methods to detect an attack is called an EEG, which stands for (Electroencephalography). In an article by Brandon Peters called “What It’s like to have an Electroencephalogram (EEG).” An EEG is an imaging technique used to help see seizures and diagnose epilepsy; this procedure is done by putting electrodes on the scalp, and then it measures the person’s brain waves to measure the seizure. This process can be done either by being awake or asleep; with this test, the doctor will ask you to do something to cause the seizure; this is done in a hospital or have one done at home. Another way to detect a seizure is a CT scan; this scan can detect abnormalities in the brain and see what might be causing the seizures. Finally, some of the laboratory diagnoses is getting a blood test done. In an article by Mayo Clinic, it says, “Your doctor may take a blood sample to check for signs of infection, genetic conditions or other conditions that may be associated with seizures.” Having this done can help in the later years, especially if done at a young age, but sometimes it can develop later in life. Another way to diagnose epilepsy is by having a neurological exam. In an article by Mayo Clinic, they say,” Your doctor may test your behavior, motor abilities, mental function and other areas to diagnose your condition and determine the type of epilepsy you may have.” This test can be beneficial
Some of the treatments for epilepsy can be medication, surgery, or therapies. With medication, a person will...
