International Epilepsy Awareness Day丨10 million Chinese people are suffering from this chronic brain disease, do you know?

Original title: "10 million Chinese people are suffering from this chronic brain disease. Doctors from West China University of Political Science and Law: Pinching the Ren Zhong acupoint is really useless!"

June 28th is International Epilepsy Awareness Day.

When it comes to epilepsy, the names we most often hear are "epilepsy" and "epilepsy". Although the common name contains the word "sheep", epilepsy and sheep really have nothing to do with each other.

It is a chronic neurological disease caused by abnormal discharges of brain neurons, characterized by recurrence, paroxysmal and transient nature.

According to relevant statistics, there are about 70 million people suffering from epilepsy worldwide, and about 10 million epilepsy patients in my country.

There are so many people suffering from epilepsy, but people's understanding of epilepsy is far from enough...

01

Symptoms of a seizure

Not only fell to the ground foaming at the mouth

Symptoms of epileptic seizures can be divided into generalized seizures and partial seizures, also known as major seizures and minor seizures.

Most people's understanding of epilepsy is limited to grand mal seizures, which are systemic limb twitching;

When an epileptic patient has an attack, he or she may suddenly fall to the ground and lose consciousness, and may also have symptoms such as eyes rolling up and foaming at the mouth. In severe cases, urinary incontinence may also occur.

Some epilepsy patients may experience symptoms that are not easily noticeable during an attack:

For example, sudden daze, hallucinations, dizziness, panic, etc.

The symptoms of minor seizures seem more common in daily life, so how can we distinguish them?

Remember these 4 key points of epilepsy symptoms:

No response, inability to interrupt, stereotyped behavior, repetitive.

Doctors at West China Hospital remind us: Epilepsy can manifest in various forms. The elderly and children are at high risk of developing epilepsy. We should pay more attention to them to see if they have subtle epileptic symptoms.

02

Someone around you is having an epileptic seizure

Should I pinch the Ren philtrum immediately?

This is often played out in TV dramas: someone falls to the ground foaming at the mouth, and the people around him immediately pinch his Ren Zhong point to help.

Can we pinch the Ren Zhong point when an epileptic patient has an attack? What should we do if we encounter an epileptic patient having an attack?

The seizure time of epilepsy patients is often relatively short, and the corresponding treatment measures vary depending on the symptoms of the disease.

The treatment measures are not difficult, just remember the following “5 don’ts” and “5 musts”!

5. Don’t

● Do not press the philtrum

● Don’t put anything in your mouth

● Do not attempt to forcibly hold or restrain the patient

● Do not give water or medicine immediately before or after the convulsion stops

● Do not perform CPR on someone who is having a seizure

5. Requirement

● Let the patient lie flat to avoid falls and bumps

● Keep the patient in a side position to allow oral secretions to flow out naturally to avoid inhalation into the trachea causing suffocation

● Observe the symptoms and duration of the attack so that you can report it to the doctor when you see him/her

● Stay with the patient after the seizure stops until he or she is fully conscious

● If the attack lasts for more than 5 minutes, go to hospital immediately for treatment

03

"You dare to get pregnant with epilepsy?"

What should women with epilepsy do?

Many female epilepsy patients have many concerns when facing pregnancy and childbirth. Can they have children with epilepsy? Should they stop taking medication when pregnant?

Don’t worry, doctors from West China Hospital will answer these questions one by one.

ask

Can I get pregnant if I have epilepsy? Is it hereditary?

Answer: Most epilepsy patients, especially women, are ashamed to talk about it after being diagnosed. They believe that once they have epilepsy, it will accompany them for life and will be passed on to the next generation.

But the fact is that the probability of epilepsy being inherited is very low, ranging from only 5% to 10%.

When you are 4 months pregnant, you can test through chromosome and gene screening, but no matter which detection method is used, it cannot guarantee 100% certainty!

Under the guidance of a doctor and regular monitoring, most female patients with epilepsy can become pregnant and have children, and 96% of female patients with epilepsy can have healthy babies.

However, if epilepsy has occurred frequently recently, it is best to actively cooperate with a specialist to control epilepsy;

After the condition stabilizes and the dosage is reduced to a safe dose, you can become pregnant under the guidance of a doctor.

ask

Can I still take epilepsy medicine during pregnancy?

A: Many families worry that medication may affect the fetus, but in recent years, the safety of new anti-epileptic drugs has been greatly improved;

The risks are greatly reduced both for the fetus during pregnancy and for breastfeeding during lactation.

Doctors from West China University of Political Science and Law remind us that some female epilepsy patients only consider that taking medicine may be bad for the fetus, and blindly reduce or stop taking medicine, which may cause greater harm to the fetus.

Epileptic seizures during pregnancy may lead to serious consequences such as fetal hypoxia and sudden death of the pregnant woman.

Therefore, for patients with epilepsy, medication cannot be stopped during pregnancy!

In addition, you should try to ensure that the drug concentration is tested once a month, and the doctor will adjust the dosage of the drug according to the actual situation.

ask

When giving birth, should you choose natural birth or caesarean section?

Answer: Many friends may think that the pain of natural childbirth may induce epileptic seizures in pregnant women, but in fact the probability of this is very small.

On the contrary, the anesthetics used during caesarean section may induce epileptic seizures, so doctors generally recommend natural birth.

But if a cesarean section is required in an emergency, of course the best method for the pregnant woman should be chosen at the moment!

Statistics show that the mortality rate of pregnant women with epilepsy is three times that of normal women. Being an ordinary mother is not easy, and being a mother with epilepsy is even more amazing.

I hope everyone can have more understanding and care for the epilepsy patients around them, and less misunderstanding and indifference.

Among the triggers of epileptic seizures, staying up late and drinking are two red lines that cannot be crossed.

For epilepsy patients, in addition to taking medication regularly and regularly under the guidance of a doctor, they should also develop healthy living habits;

It is also important to keep a relaxed mood.

Author of this article:

Source: West China Doctor WeChat Official Account

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