When I hear about some types or some names of infections/diseases, fear completely grips my heart, and personally I feel the reason why some of these diseases are not common in a country like mine (Nigeria), is because people will not survive it, we do not even have the medical facility to handle the very simple medical cases talk more of the complex ones (so sad but true), I stumbled upon a video where the mother of a little girl was speaking about how the daughter has constant seizures, it started suddenly and since then, the quality of life of the little girl has deteriorated significantly, you needed to see how cute the little girl looks, she looked too innocent to be going through such experiences, she could be playing and just slum, such a sad occurrence. I am not trying to say this is not a possibility in Nigeria, but the type of treatment option needed to solve a such complex medical case is not common here.
I was deeply moved and I began to study what in the world could make a little innocent girl like that go through a such cruel experience, I found out that seizures are in different forms and there is a medical reason why the situation may be so.
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A seizure is triggered by unusual electrical activity in the brain that can cause a behavior change, change in movement, and change in feelings. Electrical activities in the brain normally involve nerve cells (neurons) in different regions sending signals at different times, but when there is a case of seizure, many neurons get fired at once. EPILEPSY then happens when a person has repeated seizures.
Epilepsy is a brain condition that makes a child have seizures, it happens to be one of the most common disorders of the nervous system, and it can affect both children and adults regardless of their ethnic backgrounds. There are different types of seizures, the type of seizure will be dependent on the part of the brain that has been affected and what happens during the seizure.
Since we are focusing today on seizures in children, we will be speaking more about them. Seizures in children can be divided into two major categories; provoked seizures and unprovoked seizures. Provoked seizures can be caused by different conditions, like; head injury, infection, high or low blood sugar, and high blood pressure. Liver failure, kidney, stroke, and high fever may also contribute to seizure, it is a rare form of seizure.
Unprovoked seizures, on the other hand, don't have an immediate, clear cause. With this type of seizure, there would have to be a clear diagnosis of the medical issue behind the seizures. Discovering the medical issue behind seizures can be very difficult for medical practitioners and frustrating for families, in some cases, even after an extensive evaluation, the cause of the child's seizure remains unknown.
Seizures in children are in two categories but there are different types, we have;
Generalized seizure means the seizure affects all parts of the brain at the same time. Generalized seizures are categorized into two as well, we have non-motor and motor seizures.
Non-motor seizures also known as Absence seizures and sometimes called petit mal seizures are one of the most common seizures in children. When a child has this type of seizure, it may appear to the child as though he is daydreaming, the seizure could last for 15 seconds or even less and it can happen several times in one day, it popularly begins at age 4 and may remain all through adolescent age, some children may outgrow them.
Motor seizures on the other hand are categorized into four groups, we have;
Atonic seizures which involve a sudden loss of muscle tone, creating symptoms like; falling onto the ground suddenly, head dropping down, and a brief loss of consciousness.
Myoclonic seizures involve sudden shock-like muscle contraction that affects one or more limbs, these seizures may happen once or happen in clusters, with more than one occurring within a short period.
Tonic seizures are often characterized by the stiffening of the body, legs, or arms. It can happen at any time of the day, either while the person is sleeping.
Tonic-clonic seizures makes the affected person lose consciousness, their muscle stiffens, and their arms and their legs begins to jerk uncontrollably, usually affecting both sides of the brain. Likewise, it can start on one side and spread to the entire brain. The seizure lasts for a few minutes, it has become a case of a medical emergency if the symptoms last beyond a medical emergency. This seizure is called tonic-clonic seizure for a reason and the reason is because of its presence of tonic and clonic phases. In the tonic phase, the muscle of the affected person stiffens and may fall to the ground, breathing is affected in this case, and the person may also turn blue a little bit around the face, during the episode, the affected person could bite their tongue or their cheek, causing bleeding from the mouth.
Tonic seizures involve the stiffening of the body or the arms and legs, it may happen when the person is either asleep or awake, if it happens while the affected victim is in a sitting or standing position, then the victim may fall to the ground.
The clonic phase follows the tonic phase, which is the convulsion stage, where the affected person's arm begins to jerk and a few times, there is also a loss in control of the bowel or bladder.
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Focal seizure means the seizure activity begins in one part of the brain and could spread from that point. , it is a common symptom in children with symptoms like;
- A sudden feeling of fear or anger.
- Buzzing noises.
- Feeling of falling or spinning.
- Repeated words or phrases, laughing or crying.
- Wandering.
- Smelling or tasting things that are present.
- Vivid hallucinations.
Focal seizures can be in two forms;
Focal aware seizures, where the child remains awake and fully alert, they will remember they had a seizure, but they may not be able to interact with others during the phase of the seizure.
Focal impaired awareness seizures were previously called complex partial seizures, where the child is unaware of their surroundings and may not be able to remember the seizure.
Status epilepticus, involves convulsion that lasts later than 5 minutes.
Infantile spasms are a seizure type that begins during the first year of a child's life.
Febrile seizures occur within 24 hours of fever for children between 6 months and 5 years of age.
Seizure in a child is caused by so many things including; stroke, brain tumor, brain damage from a previous illness or previous injury, and an imbalance of nerve-signaling brain chemicals.
The symptoms of seizure in a child depend on the type of seizure affecting the child, but generally, the symptoms or warning signs of a child with a seizure are;
- Loss of bowel/bladder control.
- Loss of consciousness.
- Stiffening of the body.
- Staring.
- Breathing problems.
- Staring.
- Falling suddenly with no apparent reason.
- Looking confused.
- Having periods of rapid eye blinking or staring.
If your child has a seizure;
- Stay calm and remain with the child, you do not have to run around instead,
- You should get engaged in activities that will prevent the child from getting hurt, and move objects away.
- Place a soft pillow under the child's head.
- Loosen the tight outfit.
- If the seizure lasts beyond five minutes, call 911.
- Avoid giving liquid by mouth during the process of the seizure.
In most cases, seizures will stop within minutes on their own, but if your doctor has provided a rescue medication, then you should be prepared with it and time the start of the attack, so when it is time, you may administer it.
Speaking of treating a seizure in a child is speaking of having a treatment goal that is aimed at controlling, stopping, or reducing how frequently the seizure occurs, treatment is usually done with medications, and there are several medications used for the treatment of seizures and epilepsy. When the type of seizure experienced by the child is identified, then medicines will be prescribed based on the symptoms. It is necessary to administer medications strictly based on prescription, if there is any noticed side effect, be sure to speak with your doctor.
When medications are prescribed, tests would also done to ensure that the drug is effective in your child's body. Blood tests, urine tests, and Electroencephalograms (EEG) are tests that will be carried out to ensure the appropriate use of the medication.
If discovered that these medications are not working well for the proper functionality of the child or there is any form of side effect, the health care provider would advise other types of treatments, for example;
A ketogenic diet may be suggested, this is a diet high in fat and low in carbohydrates, sufficient protein is added to help promote growth, and when this diet is consumed, the body makes ketones. Ketones are chemicals made from the breakdown of body fat, with the introduction of ketones into the body, the brain and the heart will work properly as great energy sources, but this special diet has to be followed strictly. Excessive carbohydrates can stop ketosis, and even physicians are not sure about how the diet works, but according to published research, some children become free from seizures when they get placed on this diet, but the story is not the same for every child.
Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS): This treatment is used to send small pulses of energy into the brain from one of the vagus nerves, the vagus nerves is a pair of large nerves in the neck when a child is 12 years or older and partial seizures that are not adequately controlled with medications, VNS may be a good option. VNS is carried out by placing a small battery into the chest wall surgically, then small wires are attached to the battery and then placed underneath the skin and around the vagus nerves.
The battery then sends energy impulses when programmed, every few minutes into the brain. When the child feels the seizure is coming on, he may activate the impulses by holding a small magnet over the battery, in so many cases, this will help to stop the seizure, but most times VNS has side effects, like developing pain in the throat, change in voice and hoarse voice.
Surgery is another severe treatment option for seizures, this will require the removal of the part of the brain where the seizure is occurring, or it can be done to help stop the spread of the terrible electrical currents through the brain.
When the seizure of a child becomes very hard to control, and always starts in a part of the brain that does not affect speech, memory, or vision, then surgery may be considered. Surgery for an epileptic seizure is highly complex and done by only a specialized surgical team, the procedure may require the child to b awake and follow the commands all through, this way the surgeons can check the areas of the brain better during the procedure. Remember that, surgery is not just the run-to attention to a seizure case.
When your child has a seizure, it is best to know how to manage his or her health, these steps will help manage the situation better;
You must know the appropriate dose to be administered to the child at the right time, you need to also understand the side effects of these medications.
When your child comes of age, make sure that you help the child understand the type of seizure he/she has and the reason why the medication is a great necessity.
Ensure a regular visit to your child's health care provider especially before you administer any form of strange medications.
Help your child avoid things that could trigger a seizure, and make sure that your child gets sufficient sleep also.
Your child does not necessarily need to take medications for life, if doctors notice that your child does not have a seizure for 1-2 years, they may advise you to stop the administration of the medication.
Conclusion.
Seizures are not necessarily a lifetime condition as many children outgrow the condition, but for the few who do not outgrow them, there are treatment options that will aid efficient management. With the advancement of science and medicine, it has become highly possible for children with seizures to also live a comfortable life, they can play and have fun like other kids too.
References.
https://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/health/s/seizures
https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/seizure.html
https://www.childrenshospital.org/conditions/seizures
https://www.webmd.com/epilepsy/epilepsy-in-children
https://www.childrens.com/health-wellness/seizures-in-children-signs-to-look-for-and-what-to-do
https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/epilepsy-in-children
Hi, I am Tobi a writer, speaker, relationship blogger, and lover of good music. I love making friends and learning from people. Want to hear me speak on relationships and general life issues, you can find my youtube channel where you can listen and watch any episode for free, please, do not forget to subscribe, friends. I sincerely appreciate every love I get from here, kindly do well to keep them coming.