Complications of Epilepsy
Disclaimer: Not medical or professional advice.
With the proper medication and treatment, people with epilepsy can have almost no restrictions on their activities. They can work and play sports. Meanwhile, patients should carefully follow all the doctor's recommendations and prescribed antiepileptic drug treatment to keep seizures under control. But like any disease, epilepsy also has complications.
Status Epilepticus
Status epilepticus is a single seizure or rapidly recurring seizures (without full recovery to a normal conscious level between episodes) lasting more than 5 minutes. This condition is more common in young children and people over 60 years of age. People who experience status epilepticus as the initial seizure have a high risk of seizure recurrence.
Causes of Status Epilepticus
- Reduced reaction to an antiepileptic drug associated with sudden weight gain.
- Infection.
- Inappropriate drug selection by an epileptologist.
- Switching manufacturers of medication.
Status epilepticus is one of the most severe and life-threatening conditions. In some cases, a prolonged seizure can damage nerve cells in the brain. The consequences of these damages are still under research.
Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP)
The phenomenon of SUDEP refers to deaths in people with epilepsy without a clearly defined cause (injury or violence). It is estimated that about 3,000 people die each year in the United States from SUDEP.
What causes SUDEP?
The exact cause of SUDEP has not been established yet. There are several theories that explain sudden death in patients with epilepsy at present.
- Asphyxiation due to respiratory arrest and oxygen deprivation during a seizure.
- Cardiac arrhythmias and cardiac arrest during or after an epileptic seizure.
- Changes in brain function during a seizure.
- Genetic abnormalities (Dravet Syndrome).
- A combination of the above causes with unknown factors during a seizure.
Risk Factors for SUDEP
- Epileptic seizures at night.
- Generalized tonic-clonic seizures (a person loses consciousness, falls to the ground, and has severe muscle contractions).
- Refractory epilepsy - Antiepileptic drugs do not help prevent or stop seizures.
- Not taking medicines as prescribed.
- The patient consumed large quantities of alcohol.
- Regular stress and lack of sleep.
How to Reduce the Risk of SUDEP?
The risk of SUDEP is a tough but critical topic to talk about with your doctor.
- The most important solution that helps to avoid SUDEP is to keep seizures under control with drugs and contact your healthcare team regularly.
- It is crucial for patients with epilepsy to stick to a sleep and rest schedule. Overwork and sleep deprivation are the main triggers for seizures.
- Alcohol and illegal drugs can also cause epileptic seizures.
Complications of epilepsy are scary owing to their unpredictable nature and serious consequences. To keep the situation under control, patients should keep in touch with their doctors and follow all recommendations.