about epilepsy

mr,doctor i am want to know about epilepsy disease,my son is suffering in last 5 year , 1st question is why these epilepsy disease is develp amoung infant child,  why this disease actually happen what sort of symptoms actually appear,   ..... when such diseases demolish & the child will recover himself from epilepsy disease .  now child iage is 5/6 year thanks.

[Dr_Smita_S]

Hi
Epilepsy is a neurological condition, which affects the nervous system. It is also known as a seizure disorder. It is usually diagnosed after a person has had at least two seizures that were not caused by any known medical condition.
The seizures in epilepsy may be related to a brain injury, family tendency, a structural defect or infection but most of the time the cause is unknown.
Epilepsy can develop in any person at any age. It is commonly seen in among children, especially during the first year of life and also in adults usually after the age of 55 or 60years due to some medical conditions, such as strokes, brain tumors, or Alzheimer's disease.
The exact cause in unknown. However, it is understood that, normally there is a balance of stimulatory and inhibitory electrical signals in the brain for the proper functioning of the brain. However, sometimes an imbalance in the electrical activity leads to an abnormal storm of electrical discharges in the brain, resulting in seizures.
The diagnosis is made based on medical history, Electroencephalogram (EEG), MRI and PET scan.

Epilepsy is usually controlled with anti epileptic medication like carbamazepine, phenytoin, lamotrigine, sodium valproate and many others. The treatment regime depends on the type of epilepsy and several other patient related factors,. Hence, for a definitive treatment regime, a consultant neurologist should be visited.

Hope this provides some useful information.

Regards