treatment for epilepsy

Epilepsy is a condition in which a person has a tendency to have recurring seizures. Medication can provide seizure control for approximately 70 per cent of people with epilepsy. For some people, surgery is successful if medication fails. Avoiding known triggers and attention to lifestyle can sometimes improve seizure control.Treatment aims to prevent seizures and maximise quality of life.
Antiepileptic medications
Medication can be given to prevent seizures. When deciding whether or not to start medication, or which type of medication is to be prescribed, various issues will be taken into account.It may include the type of seizure,age or gender of the person etc.Medication does not ‘cure’ epilepsy; its role is to stop you having seizures. To prevent seizures, the prescribed doses must be taken regularly to maintain an effective level of the drug in your body.
Surgery
Epilepsy is sometimes caused by an area of abnormal brain tissue, frequently located in the temporal lobe of the brain. If surgery can remove this tissue, seizures can often be prevented. The chance of successful surgery and the risks of complications differ for each person.
Surgery is usually only used where medication fails. It is not intended to be a substitute for medication. If surgery is considered to be a possible treatment for your epilepsy, extensive tests will first be carried out.
Ketogenic diet
The ketogenic diet has been reported to reduce seizures in a very small number of children. Low in carbohydrate, the diet forces the body to break down muscle to make glucose. This state, known as ketosis, causes changes in body chemistry that may help to control seizures. The diet is extremely severe and must be carried out under medical supervision. It is not usually considered for adults and usually only suggested when other treatments fail.

By xuxn