3 best treatments for curbing epilepsy seizures

3 best treatments for curbing epilepsy seizures

Almost any disorder that ails us can be treated. Being an earthling in the 21st century comes with its added benefits. Anything that affects us or interferes with the normal functioning of our bodies can be treated effectively. They don’t survive an onslaught of effective medications and succumb to it finally and thus, you can say “good riddance to bad rubbish.”

Epilepsy is a neurological condition that causes a sudden surge of electrical impulses in the brain, which cause epilepsy seizures symptoms to surface. Epilepsy seizure symptoms include loss of consciousness, sudden jerking movements of the limbs, staring into space, etc. You might have witnessed a loved one displaying epilepsy seizure symptoms and you are left wondering if it can ever be treated?

Here are some of the popular treatments for curing or controlling the occurrence of epilepsy seizure symptoms in an individual.

Anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs)- AEDs are the most commonly used method of treating epilepsy seizure symptoms. It cannot cure epilepsy but helps in preventing the occurrence of seizures. There are different forms of AEDs and your physician might recommend the drug based on several factors like your age, the frequency and intensity of the seizure, and whether the AEDs are compatible with your body. Most commonly used AEDs are carbamazepine, sodium valproate, lamotrigine, ethosuximide, etc.

Brain surgery- If your epilepsy seizure symptoms surface despite being treated with AEDs, then brain surgery is another option that you can opt for. You can visit an epilepsy center and after undergoing various scans and test, you would know whether you can undergo the surgery or not. The surgery is performed only if a single part of the brain causes these seizures and the removal of the same would not affect the normal brain activities. However, there’s a risk of experiencing a stroke after the surgery, but 70% of those who underwent this surgery lead a completely normal “epilepsy-free” life.

Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) and Deep brain stimulation (DBS)- If AEDs and brain surgery are not the ones for you, your doctor might suggest an alternative to these methods which includes VNS and DBS. The VNS is a procedure in which a small electrical device is placed under your skin, near the collarbone. This device is attached to a nerve in the left side of your body, called the vagus nerve, and passes regular dose of electricity to the brain which helps prevent the seizures. The DBS procedure involves implanting electrodes in certain parts of the brains to bring the abnormal electrical activity that results in a seizure.

These above-mentioned procedures might appear very intimidating, but would help you lead a normal life in the long run.