The prognosis of epilepsy, according to the AEP
There are many diseases that children suffer and that take away the sleep of parents. One of them is the epilepsy, a disease whose prognosis It raises doubts in the parents about the sequels that will remain in the children in their adult stage or what quality of life they will have in the case that these ailments are revealed as as chronic.
Given the violence that can occur when the epileptic seizures, Worrying about your prognosis is especially important. However, the Spanish Association of Pediatrics, AEPED, ensures that Epilepsy has a good long-term prognosis as long as it does not complicate other neurological problems. This organism refers to several studies that support this thesis on the evolution of this neurological disease. There are several data that place around 70% cases in which after treatment, the crises that characterize epilepsy they do not appear again.
What is epilepsy?
According to the AEPED, epilepsy is a neurological disease that consists of an excessive discharge of neurons, that is to say a failure in the electrical activity of the brain. Epilepsy is manifested through crises that alter the level of consciousness and muscle jerking. These trances are accompanied by other symptoms such as sensory disturbances (partial loss of vision, poor perception of odors, etc.), vegetative disturbances (sweating, tachycardia or pallor).
When a child continuously suffers these Seizures are when we talk about epilepsy. This neurological disorder is one of the most common in the entire world, in fact the World Health Organization, WHO, number 50 million affected by epilepsy. In Spain, childhood epilepsy is between 40 and 60 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.
It is important that, as in any other illness, parents go to a specialist to diagnose epilepsy and start a treatment to alleviate this condition. These signs can manifest themselves in two ways:
- Partial crises: These first manifestations indicate that epilepsy is present in a specific area of the brain. This disorder is manifested through changes in facial expression or partial jerking of a part of the body.
- Generalized crises: When symptoms worsen, there is loss of knowledge and lack of response to external stimuli during these trances. In addition, the individual experiences pallor and suffers strong seizures. This indicates that epilepsy is present in both hemispheres of the brain.
Once these symptoms are detected, it is important to see a doctor to clarify what happens to the child. It will be important to attend to the patient's medical history since if there is a history of epilepsy in the family, there is a good chance that the child will suffer from this disorder. The electroencephalogram is also used as a test to diagnose this disease. Other studies such as blood tests or magnetic resonance imaging can help in this diagnosis.
Prognosis of epilepsy
Once the specialist diagnoses this disease it is important to start a treatment that stops these crises. To this end, anticonvulsant medications that control trances will be used. Sometimes other methods such as a specific diet are necessary and in specific cases surgical intervention will be necessary. The AEPED places special emphasis on sleep hygiene, that is, ensuring that the child has a good rest.
These treatments prove to be truly effective since in most cases these crises subside. The AEPED refers to a study where it is specified that once these crises are controlled Thanks to medication, they remit in 70% of cases of childhood epilepsy. These data only refer to cases in which the child does not present any other neurological disorder.
The Andalusian Association of Epilepsy, APICE, also indicates that epilepsy generally has a good long-term prognosis thanks to the treatment. This organism indicates that the probability that a patient does not suffer a crisis one year after the medication is around 80%. In the long term, APICE indicates that approximately 60% of adults who suffered epilepsy in their childhood can stop taking the anticonvulsant drug.
However, this body clarifies that this point is only reached after several years of treatment, a period of time in which it is even possible that resistance to this drug is generated, so we will have to look for a new drug. APICE indicates that it is not advisable to stop treatment before two years of treatment. If after the withdrawal of this drug the patient does not show symptoms of epilepsy again, this can stop the taking of drugs.However, if the signs of this neurological disorder reappear, it is recommended to go to a specialist to decide if it is necessary to start the procedure against this condition again.
Damián Montero
