Schweitzer Fachinformationen
Wenn es um professionelles Wissen geht, ist Schweitzer Fachinformationen wegweisend. Kunden aus Recht und Beratung sowie Unternehmen, öffentliche Verwaltungen und Bibliotheken erhalten komplette Lösungen zum Beschaffen, Verwalten und Nutzen von digitalen und gedruckten Medien.
A conversational guide to understanding and living with epilepsy
Millions of people around the world have epilepsy, but the condition is widely misunderstood. Epilepsy For Dummies breaks through outdated stigmas surrounding this complex neurological disease. The book offers a 360-degree view by incorporating medical, social, and other perspectives to help you cope with epilepsy or support someone who has been diagnosed. You'll learn about triggers and risk factors, different types of seizures, and getting a diagnosis. You'll also explore various treatment options, including medications, surgery, therapy, and neuromodulation. Beyond the basics, this guide addresses staying safe and managing associated conditions, empowering you to live well.
Epilepsy For Dummies is invaluable for anyone with epilepsy, as well as their caretakers, family, and friends. It's also a great resource for educators and medical professionals.
Elizabeth A. Thiele, MD, PhD, is an epileptologist who treats children and young adults who have complex cases of epilepsy. She's the Director of Pediatric Epilepsy at the Massachusetts General Hospital and Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School.
Lauren Seeley Aguirre is an award-winning science journalist and former producer for the PBS series NOVA. She is the author of The Memory Thief and the Secrets Behind How We Remember: A Medical Mystery.
Chapter 1
IN THIS CHAPTER
Looking at the scope of epilepsy
Recognizing and diagnosing epilepsy
Looking at treatment paths
Living safely while living fully
Finding supportive community
Epilepsy is a condition that affects the brain - the most intricate organ we have - and no two people experience epilepsy in the same way. Causes, symptoms, treatments, and outcomes can vary widely, which can make the condition feel unpredictable and overwhelming.
This chapter offers a roadmap to help you make sense of it all for yourself or people you care for. You find out about what seizures are, what epilepsy is, and how it can begin at any age. The chapter also tells you what treatment options look like and why so many people who receive a diagnosis of epilepsy go on to lead full, active lives. Most importantly, you discover that you're not alone.
Saying "I have epilepsy" doesn't tell your listener much because epilepsy is so different from one person to the next. Some people have seizures so mild that they can carry on a conversation during a seizure, and no one even notices. Others have seizures so intense that they fall to the ground and convulse. And there are hundreds of variations in between those extremes.
The official definition of epilepsy is a medical condition in which the brain has a tendency to experience unprovoked, repeated seizures. But what does that really mean?
Here's a breakdown of the definition:
Seizures happen when neurons in your brain fire in a sudden, storm-like burst. That uncontrolled activity interrupts normal brain function. Doctors group seizures into two main types:
In addition to seizure types, epilepsy syndromes also exist, and we explain more about seizure types and syndromes in Chapter 7. Understanding the type of seizure or syndrome you're dealing with is your doctor's first step in figuring out the correct medical treatment. The "Understanding Treatment Possibilities" section later in this chapter explains more.
Around 50 million people around the world have epilepsy. Anyone can get it - the cashier at the grocery store, a newborn, or an Olympic athlete. Even doctors get epilepsy. While epilepsy can begin at any time, children under two years of age or adults over 65 years of age are the most likely to be newly diagnosed. In many lower-income countries, people are more likely to develop epilepsy from preventable causes, such as malaria, head injuries, or birth complications.
People are born with epilepsy or acquire it for many reasons:
For much of history, seizures were misunderstood as signs of demonic possession or madness. Unfortunately, myths and misconceptions about what epilepsy is have been around ever since people have had epilepsy. Which is forever.
But today, more people feel comfortable talking openly about their seizures, and public understanding that epilepsy is just another medical condition is growing. Unfortunately, about half of people living with epilepsy still feel judged, excluded, or treated unfairly. That stigma can sometimes take as much of a toll on a person's mental and physical health as the seizures themselves. See Chapter 4 for more information about the myths and stigmas surrounding epilepsy.
Many people understand the feeling of avoidance - when they don't want to listen to the voice in their heads telling them that something's wrong. But when it comes to epilepsy, ignoring that voice and waiting to take action can make the situation worse in the long run.
The sooner you trust your instincts and get the symptoms you notice checked out, the sooner you can either stop worrying or take steps to get the care you need. Here's what's involved:
To confirm a diagnosis, your doctor may order follow-up tests such as an EEG or a brain scan. We explain what to expect from follow-up testing in Chapter 8.
A century ago, treatment options for epilepsy were limited to a drug or two that had serious side effects and didn't work particularly well. Today, you have dozens of medications to choose from, as well as surgical procedures, devices that act like pacemakers for the brain, and therapeutic diets. In Part 3, we walk you through these treatment options in detail.
As you find out in Chapter 10, for most people who have epilepsy, treatment with medication is the best place to start. That's because around seven out of ten people can get complete seizure control from medication alone.
Here are a few facts about antiseizure medications:
Finding the right medication can take time. Doctors often use a trial-and-error approach to figure out what works best. You may need to try more than one medication or use a combination of medications before getting seizures under control. So if the first attempt doesn't work, don't give up hope.
For about one-third of people with epilepsy, medication alone doesn't fully control their seizures. For them, surgery may be a...
Dateiformat: ePUBKopierschutz: Adobe-DRM (Digital Rights Management)
Systemvoraussetzungen:
Das Dateiformat ePUB ist sehr gut für Romane und Sachbücher geeignet – also für „fließenden” Text ohne komplexes Layout. Bei E-Readern oder Smartphones passt sich der Zeilen- und Seitenumbruch automatisch den kleinen Displays an. Mit Adobe-DRM wird hier ein „harter” Kopierschutz verwendet. Wenn die notwendigen Voraussetzungen nicht vorliegen, können Sie das E-Book leider nicht öffnen. Daher müssen Sie bereits vor dem Download Ihre Lese-Hardware vorbereiten.Bitte beachten Sie: Wir empfehlen Ihnen unbedingt nach Installation der Lese-Software diese mit Ihrer persönlichen Adobe-ID zu autorisieren!
Weitere Informationen finden Sie in unserer E-Book Hilfe.