home Audience 2 Why does a person foam at the mouth? Why does epilepsy foam? Attack with foam at the mouth

Why does a person foam at the mouth? Why does epilepsy foam? Attack with foam at the mouth

In order to understand why foam comes from the mouth, you need to know the reasons for its occurrence:

Convulsive seizures due to poisoning by poisons, drugs and drugs.
An attack of heart pain during myocardial infarction, uncontrollable angina, as a result - cardiogenic shock, if assistance is not provided, leading to the death of the patient.
Cardiac asthma with massive atherosclerotic lesions of the main blood vessels, malformations of the heart, diseases of the valve structures.
Acute cerebrovascular accident as a result of hypoxia due to atherosclerosis or hemorrhage due to an aneurysm, weakness of the vascular wall.
Epilepsy due to dissonance at work nerve cells brain
Traumatic brain injuries.
Tumors and metastases in the brain, compressing the structures of the organ.
Infectious lesions of the brain and its membranes.
Complications of diabetes mellitus are hyper- and hypoglycemic coma.
Anaphylactic shock.
Withdrawal syndrome during alcohol abstinence.
Sudden arrest of cardiac and respiratory function.

Any of stated reasons in case of failure to provide pre-medical and qualified assistance doctors leads to severe disruptions in the functioning of human body organs and even death.

Coronary heart disease is one of the most common diseases of people over 50 years of age, most often affecting the male half of the population. The narrowing of the lumen of the vascular wall leads to a weakening of blood circulation in the tissues adjacent to this blood vessel, hypoxia of the area and ischemia occurs, leading to the death of cardiomyocytes. Symptoms of angina pectoris appear, and then myocardial infarction may develop.

The consequence of this process is acute heart failure and the development of pulmonary edema. The patient takes a forced position of the body - sitting or leaning on a bed or table. Shallow, noisy breathing can be heard from a distance, and a hacking cough with foam coming out of the mouth is disturbing. Further cardiogenic disease may develop state of shock and clinical death.

First aid in this case consists of taking Nitroglycerin under the tongue and Aspirin tablets, which must be chewed. For arrhythmia - Valocordin. You should definitely call an ambulance.

If assistance is not provided or treatment is ineffective, biological death occurs.

Epilepsy

An epileptic seizure most often occurs suddenly, but some people feel a special state called an aura before the onset of loss of consciousness. Before an attack, a person may hear unusual smells and sounds. In this case, you can warn the accompanying person.

During an attack, there is intense contraction of the entire muscle group and foamy discharge from the mouth.

If an epileptic attack occurs on the street, it is advisable to:

Catch the falling person, lay him on the surface of the soil, and place a cushion under his neck. The roller can be made from available materials - a jacket, a bag.
Turn on your side and hold your head in this position to avoid injury and swallowing of your tongue. There is no need to unclench your teeth.
If foam comes out of the mouth, carefully wipe it with a handkerchief so that the person does not swallow it, otherwise asphyxia may develop. Foam has White color, may be mixed with blood if the tongue or inner surface of the cheek is bitten.

Epileptic seizures can occur with stroke (stroke), traumatic brain injury, tumor growths and metastases, infectious lesions brain and its membranes.

Diabetes

Diabetes mellitus is endocrine disease and is divided into types 1 and 2. At the same time, people suffering from this disease must take insulin injections or take glucose-lowering pills for life. In case of non-compliance with diet, medical prescriptions, intensive physical activity Hypo- or hyperglycemic states may occur. As a result, coma develops.

Hypoglycemia occurs suddenly with loss of consciousness, the appearance of cold and sticky sweat, noisy breathing, tremors of the arms and legs, and convulsions may occur. First aid is mandatory. You need to give a warm sweet drink, candy, a piece of refined sugar, and warm the limbs. It is also mandatory to call an ambulance.

Hyperglycemia develops gradually with the appearance of headache, weakness, nausea, vomiting, dryness skin, oral mucosa. The smell of acetone is characteristic (it is sometimes confused with the aroma of alcohol; a passerby may think that a person is drunk when passing by a dying person on the sidewalk). If an individual is found in this condition, it is necessary to call an ambulance team, then, if possible, take the person into the shade and unbutton the top buttons of his clothing. Release oral cavity from vomit and foamy discharge.

Allergic reactions

Anaphylactic shock occurs against the background of penetration of an antigen into the body, a chain of biochemical reactions develops, leading to circulatory failure and changes in the process of gas exchange in tissues. Antigens can be:

Symptoms are varied and may occur skin itching, rashes, swelling, asthmatic syndrome, with foamy sputum, difficulty breathing, hoarseness. A feature of shock is its lightning-fast development and severe course.

First aid consists of calling an ambulance and stopping contact with the allergen. The patient should be placed on a flat surface, with his head turned to the side. If a person is vomiting or foaming at the mouth, wrap gauze or a handkerchief around the finger and remove foreign substances.

Compliance with the rules of behavior and provision of pre-medical care will greatly reduce the risk of death.

Epilepsy: myths and reality

An epileptic seizure is scary to look at: the patient screams, falls, convulses, his breathing is hoarse, and there is foam at the mouth. People's idea of epilepsy is made up of many myths and prejudices, and often patients themselves are at the mercy of these myths, not quite clearly understanding what is actually happening to them.

Here are some common misconceptions.

Epilepsy is a hereditary disease; it affects only those who have relatives with epilepsy

In fact, only some types of epilepsy (more precisely, a predisposition to them) can be inherited. These are idiopathic epilepsies. Other options are caused by a structural defect in nerve cells after trauma, hypoxia, or certain types of metabolic disorders. These are symptomatic and presumably symptomatic epilepsies.

A seizure is a loss of consciousness, convulsions, foaming at the mouth and biting the tongue

A generalized seizure is just one of many types of epileptic seizures. In addition to it, there are absence seizures - short episodes of blackout with freezing of the gaze, which are not accompanied by either a fall or convulsions, the patient himself does not notice them, and others can simply take them for thoughtfulness. Partial seizures are very diverse. These include convulsions in a certain group of muscles without loss of consciousness, and hallucinations in the form of unpleasant odors, sounds, circles and geometric shapes before the eyes, flashes of light. Seizures can look like attacks of abdominal pain, panic, a feeling of “already seen,” high spirits, and even such complex states as trances, when the patient performs seemingly quite meaningful actions while in an altered state of consciousness. An epileptic seizure can be any condition that is repeated several times, always the same, spontaneously and for a short time.

An epileptic attack is deadly

This statement is partially true. Most attacks go away on their own within a few minutes, posing no critical danger to the patient (except for the possibility of injury from a fall and convulsions). But an attack that lasts longer than 5 minutes is dangerous due to the transition to status epilepticus, the mortality rate of which is quite high.

People with epilepsy are mentally disabled

Only some types of epilepsies, usually occurring in early childhood, cause delay mental development, but even in this case, with the correct selection of an antiepileptic drug, the child has a chance to develop. Most people with epilepsy have normal level intelligence.

Epilepsy is incurable

Properly selected antiepileptic therapy can completely relieve a person from seizures, and in more severe cases, significantly reduce their frequency. For some types of epilepsy, complete withdrawal of the drug is possible 3–5 years after the last attack.

Antiepileptic drugs have many side effects and are dangerous to take.

Indeed, drugs for the treatment of epilepsy are quite serious, but untreated seizures are much more dangerous. In addition, modern medications are much easier to tolerate by patients. They do not affect mental functions and are not addictive. The dose is slowly increased from minimal to effective to reduce the likelihood of adverse reactions.

You can't have children if you have epilepsy

Women with epilepsy successfully bear and give birth to children under the supervision of an obstetrician-gynecologist and a neurologist. Adequately selected antiepileptic therapy is important. The likelihood of fetal malformations from exposure to drugs is reduced by prescribing folic acid.

Epilepsy can appear from nervous tension and stress

Quite often the onset of attacks coincides with the first session in students. Stress does not actually cause epilepsy. But disruption of sleep patterns, lack of sleep and forced awakening can provoke attacks in patients. In addition, alcohol intake, flickering light, and certain types of food can worsen the disease.

An electroencephalogram (EGG) allows you to accurately determine whether you have epilepsy

If the study was carried out during an attack, the EEG will show corresponding changes. But they are not always detected during the interictal period. Tests with breathing and flickering light help to identify epileptic changes in the EEG. For a more accurate diagnosis, EEG video monitoring is performed, which allows changes in the encephalogram to be recorded over a long period of time and correlated with clinical manifestations.

If a child is excitable, has frequent tantrums and “rolls up” when crying, this means that he will develop epilepsy

This misconception is widespread even among pediatricians, and in Russian clinics children with affective-respiratory attacks are often prescribed anticonvulsants. In fact, excitability and loss of consciousness when crying have nothing to do with epilepsy. Excitable children are just as likely to develop epilepsy as anyone else.

Epilepsy is a well-studied disease, and treatments have been developed to combat it. effective medicines. People with epilepsy can understand the nature of their disease and learn to cope with it. Currently, epilepsy is no longer an obstacle to a full life.

News RSS Subscribe

Are antiepileptic drugs safe to use during pregnancy?

New direction in the treatment of epilepsy

Scientists are developing new ways to protect the brain from seizures

Topiramate increases the likelihood of fetal malformations when used in pregnant women

Office of Sanitary Supervision of Quality food products and the US Drug Administration (FDA) stated that taking topiramate during pregnancy increases the likelihood of fetal malformations such as cleft lip and palate.

First aid for seizures and epilepsy attacks

Convulsive seizures are attacks in which simultaneous spasms of muscles throughout the body occur.

The cause of seizures is some kind of disruption in the functioning of the brain. Which? Doesn't matter. At the stage of providing assistance, it makes no difference to us.

All seizures are often called "epileptic seizures" after the disease epilepsy, which is characterized by such seizures. But, in fact, seizures can occur with a host of other conditions/diseases.

Whatever the cause of the seizure, outwardly everything looks the same and the same help is required.

The whole body is tense, the limbs and head are either in an almost motionless state or make chaotic uncontrolled movements.
There is no consciousness, although the eyes may be open and the person appears as if he is looking at others
Foam may come from the mouth ( thick saliva), sometimes colored pink color a small amount of blood. Blood may appear if the victim bites his tongue or cheek.

A seizure in itself does not cause death.

No matter how scary the victim looks, no matter what foam comes out of his mouth, no matter how terrible grimaces appear on his face and no matter how terrible wheezing he makes, nothing threatens the life of the victim.

The main threat to the life and health of the victim is injuries received from a fall and uncontrolled movement.

Do everything necessary to ensure that the person does not get injured!

Move sharp hard objects away from the victim or move the victim away from them. If this is not possible, put something soft between the injured and the traumatic object.

Wait until the cramps end.

Cramps most often last within seconds, although it may feel like many minutes have passed. IN in rare cases convulsions can last up to several minutes.

Convulsive seizures can also be repeated several times in a row with intervals of rest between them.

Call an ambulance or 112 from any phone - and clearly, in simple language describe all manifestations. For example: a young man, about 30 years old, has lost consciousness and is shaking in a convulsive fit.

You don't need to do anything else.

If the victim regains consciousness, monitor his condition, support him morally, wait for the ambulance. Usually the victim has absolutely no memory of the seizure episode.

If there is no consciousness, check for breathing.

If there is breathing, turn the person on his side to avoid tongue retraction and respiratory arrest and continue to wait for the ambulance.

During convulsions, you need to insert a spoon into the victim’s mouth to:

the tongue did not sink and did not block breathing (hold the tongue with a spoon)
he didn't bite his tongue (insert it between his teeth)

Why should this NOT be done?

The forcible insertion of hard objects into the mouth ends with broken teeth, torn lips, and the “rescue instrument” getting into Airways etc.
The tongue is not always bitten during convulsions. But even if this happened, it is not fatal. A forcibly inserted spoon will cause more destruction in the oral cavity.
The tongue does not sink during cramps and does not interfere with breathing! This scientific fact. Therefore, there is no need to go into your mouth after it.

During convulsions, you need to firmly fix the victim’s head and limbs

Why should this NOT be done?

Fixation of the body does not affect the duration of the seizure. The cramps will end when they end.
Forcibly holding the body is traumatic. Such “help” ends in sprained ligaments and dislocated joints. Allow the cramps to end spontaneously.

Any knowledge is useless if it does not lead to effective actions.

And here’s what you need to do right now so that knowledge does not remain just knowledge:

Tell everyone in your family what you learn about the seizure. Just tell it in your own words. Firstly, by passing on information to others, you yourself will remember it better. Secondly, you create a safe environment around yourself that can help you if you suddenly become the victim, God forbid.
If you have children, make sure they know how to call 911. They may be the only ones near the victim, and his timely call for an ambulance will determine his salvation.

Be prepared and may you never need it!

P.S. Was the material useful to you? Please leave a review :)

It is very important for us to know your opinion about our work!

Vladimir

Artem! Thank you. The article is very valuable and useful. No water. Everything is on the merits of this issue.

Add a comment Cancel reply

All materials posted on the site are intellectual property.

Copying and distribution is permitted only with reference to the source!

Health, life, hobbies, relationships

Symptoms - foaming at the mouth

Without going into details, foam coming out of the mouth is a very bad sign. This phenomenon is observed in cases of significant heart problems, poisoning with strong toxins, epileptic seizures and other disorders. nervous system Let us consider in more detail the mechanism and especially the attack of epilepsy, as the most common manifestation of foam at the mouth. Seizure stages

An epileptic seizure is divided into the following phases: aura, tonic part, clonic part and stupefaction phase.

Many patients, thanks to the aura, can foresee the onset of a seizure and prepare for it, but this is already a few minutes in advance; there are earlier warning signs: poor sleep, irritability, headaches, weakness, rapid heartbeat. However, everyone has their own aura signs. During the next phase, tension in all muscles occurs, tone occurs, pulse and blood pressure increase, movements become erratic. The person may bite their tongue. During this phase, foam from the mouth most often occurs, speech is not controlled, and inarticulate sounds appear. Foaming at the mouth occurs because the glands produce saliva in extremely large quantities, often mixed with blood due to a bitten tongue. During the clonic stage, relaxation occurs muscular system and the person may fall. The tongue may fall back during this stage, which is extremely dangerous. There are extremely dangerous cases when attacks follow one after another. This can be fatal due to brain swelling and breathing problems. Sometimes only a few symptoms are observed, sometimes the attack may be limited to only an aura.

Some patients suffer light form epilepsy, which manifests itself as small seizures or absences. In this case, consciousness disappears for some time and movement disorders are not observed. Outwardly, this may be completely invisible. In this case, the limbs become slightly weaker and may temporarily not perform their functions. This can cause the person to drop objects, lose balance, or become disorientated. If only certain, small areas of the brain are affected, then the attack manifests itself in strictly defined abnormal movements. Often this is manifested by involuntary eye movements, involuntary movements of one arm or leg. There is another form of epilepsy: the twilight state. In this case, hallucinations, incorrect perception of reality, and memory lapses are noted. This condition is characterized by automatic actions, about which the patient knows absolutely nothing and does not think about it, while his consciousness is turned off. Long-term trance states are characteristic, when a person does not give an account of his actions. In this case, consciousness returns when the patient finds himself in a completely different place and does not remember how he ended up here. If you observe signs of foaming at the mouth in someone close to you, know that this may be epilepsy in the initial stage.

3 comments on the post “Symptoms - foaming at the mouth”

My granddaughter, she is 18 years old, often lacks air, it is difficult to breathe, her temperature is constantly 37.2 - 37.5, her pulse is 120 beats. in minutes, and the other day, with another lack of air, foam came out of her mouth. It is difficult to force her to go to the clinic, she refers to her studies, she is studying at the university. She often has heart pain, she is irritable, and has nervous tics. What to do?

My granddaughter is 18 years old. She often has a lack of air, it is difficult to breathe, the temperature is 37.2 - 37.5, there are pains in the heart, pulse, and the other day, with another lack of air, foam began to come out of the mouth. She studies at the university. What to do? And what does that mean?

Epilepsy: symptoms and treatment

Epilepsy - main symptoms:

A disease such as epilepsy is chronic, and it is characterized by the manifestation of spontaneous, rarely occurring, short-term attacks of epileptic seizures. It should be noted that epilepsy, the symptoms of which are very pronounced, is one of the most common neurological diseases - for example, every hundredth person on our planet experiences periodic epileptic seizures.

Epilepsy: main features of the disease

When considering cases of epilepsy, one can notice that it itself has the character congenital disease. For this reason, its first attacks occur in childhood and adolescence, 5-10 years old, respectively. In this situation, no damage is detected in the brain substance - only the electrical activity characteristic of nerve cells changes. There is also a decrease in the threshold of excitability in the brain. Epilepsy in this case is defined as primary (or idiopathic), its course is benign, and, in addition, it can also be effectively treated. It is also important that with primary epilepsy developing according to this scenario, the patient with age can completely eliminate taking pills as a necessity.

Another form of epilepsy is secondary (or symptomatic) epilepsy. Its development occurs after damage to the brain and its structure in particular, or when there is a metabolic disorder in it. With the latter option, the emergence of secondary epilepsy is accompanied by a complex number of pathological factors (underdevelopment of brain structures, previous traumatic brain injuries, strokes, addiction in one form or another, tumors, infections, etc.). The development of this form of epilepsy can occur regardless of age; in this case, the disease is much more difficult to treat. Meanwhile, complete cure is also a possible outcome, but only if the underlying disease that caused epilepsy is completely eliminated.

In other words, epilepsy is divided into two groups according to its occurrence - acquired epilepsy, the symptoms of which depend on the underlying causes (listed injuries and diseases) and hereditary epilepsy, which, accordingly, occurs due to the transfer of genetic information to children from parents.

Types of epilepsy attacks

Manifestations of epilepsy appear, as we noted, in the form of seizures, and they have their own classification:

Based on the cause of occurrence (primary epilepsy and secondary epilepsy);
Based on the location of the original focus, characterized by excessive electrical activity (deep parts of the brain, left or right hemisphere);
Based on a variant that shapes the development of events during an attack (with or without loss of consciousness).

In a simplified classification of epilepsy attacks, generalized partial attacks are distinguished.

Generalized seizures are characterized by attacks in which there is total loss consciousness, as well as control over the actions performed. The reason for this situation is excessive activation, characteristic of the deep parts of the brain, which subsequently provokes the involvement of the entire brain. The result of this condition, expressed in a fall, is not at all necessary, because muscle tone is disturbed only in rare cases.

As for this type of seizures, such as partial seizures, it can be noted that they are characteristic of 80% of the total number of adults and 60% of children. Partial epilepsy, the symptoms of which manifest themselves when a focus with excessive electrical excitability forms in a particular area in the cerebral cortex, directly depends on the location of this focus. For this reason, manifestations of epilepsy can be motor, mental, autonomic or sensory (tactile) in nature.

It should be noted that partial epilepsy, like localized and focal epilepsy, the symptoms of which represent a separate group of diseases, are based on metabolic or morphological damage to a specific area of the brain. They can be caused by various factors (brain injuries, infections and inflammatory lesions, vascular dysplasia, acute type of cerebrovascular accident, etc.).

When a person is conscious, but with a loss of control over a certain part of the body or when he experiences previously unusual sensations, we're talking about about a simple seizure. If there is a disturbance of consciousness (with partial loss of it), as well as a person’s lack of understanding of where exactly he is and what is happening to him at the moment, if entering into any contact with him is not possible, then this is a complex attack. As with a simple attack, in this case uncontrolled movements are made in one or another part of the body, and imitation of specifically directed movements often occurs. Thus, a person can smile, walk, sing, talk, “hit a ball,” “dive,” or continue the action that he began before the attack.

Any type of attack is short-term, and their duration is up to three minutes. Almost every attack is accompanied by drowsiness and confusion after its completion. Accordingly, if during an attack there was a complete loss of consciousness or its disturbances occurred, the person does not remember anything about it.

Main symptoms of epilepsy

As we have already noted, epilepsy in general is characterized by the occurrence of an extensive convulsive seizure. As a rule, it begins suddenly, and without any logical connection with external factors.

In some cases, it is possible to determine the time of the imminent onset of such a seizure. In one or two days epilepsy, early symptoms which are expressed in general malaise, also indicates disturbances in appetite and sleep, headaches and excessive irritability as their early harbingers. In many cases, the appearance of a seizure is accompanied by the appearance of an aura - for the same patient its character is defined as stereotypical in display. The aura lasts for several seconds, followed by loss of consciousness, possibly a fall, often accompanied by a kind of scream, which is caused by a spasm that occurs in the glottis during muscle contraction chest and diaphragm.

At the same time, tonic convulsions occur, during which both the torso and limbs, being in a state of tension, are stretched and the head is thrown back. Breathing is delayed, and the veins in the neck swell. The face becomes deathly pale, the jaws tighten under the influence of a spasm. The duration of the tonic phase of the seizure is about 20 seconds, after which clonic convulsions occur, manifested in jerky contractions of the muscles of the trunk, limbs and neck. During this phase of the attack, which lasts up to 3 minutes, breathing often becomes hoarse and noisy, which is explained by the accumulation of saliva, as well as the recession of the tongue. There is also a discharge of foam from the mouth, often with blood, which occurs due to biting the cheek or tongue.

Gradually, the frequency of cramps decreases, their end leads to comprehensive muscle relaxation. This period is characterized by a lack of reaction to any stimuli, regardless of the intensity of their impact. The pupils are dilated and there is no reaction to exposure to light. Reflexes of a deep and protective type are not evoked, but involuntary urination occurs quite often. Considering epilepsy, one cannot help but note the vastness of its varieties, and each of them is characterized by the presence of its own characteristics.

Epilepsy in newborns: symptoms

In this case, neonatal epilepsy, the symptoms of which occur against a background of elevated temperature, is defined as intermittent epilepsy. The reason for this is general character seizures, in which the spasms move from one limb to another and from one half of the body to the other.

Foam formation, which is usual for adults, as well as tongue biting, are usually absent. At the same time, it is also extremely rare that epilepsy and its symptoms in infants are defined as actual phenomena characteristic of older children and adults, and expressed in the form of involuntary urination. There is also no post-attack sleep. After consciousness returns, characteristic weakness can be identified on the left or right side of the body, its duration can be up to several days.

Observations indicate in epilepsy in infants the symptoms that foreshadow an attack, which include general irritability, headache and appetite disturbances.

Temporal lobe epilepsy: symptoms

Temporal lobe epilepsy occurs due to a certain number of causes, but there are primary factors that contribute to its formation. Yes, this includes birth injuries, as well as brain damage that develops from an early age due to injuries, including inflammatory and other processes.

Temporal lobe epilepsy, the symptoms of which are expressed in polymorphic paroxysms preceded by a peculiar aura, has a duration of manifestations of the order of several minutes. Most often it is characterized by the following features:

Abdominal sensations (nausea, abdominal pain, increased peristalsis);
Cardiac symptoms (palpitations, heart pain, arrhythmia);
Difficulty breathing;
The occurrence of involuntary phenomena in the form of sweating, swallowing, chewing, etc.
The occurrence of changes in consciousness (loss of connection of thoughts, disorientation, euphoria, calm, panic, fears);
Performing actions dictated by a temporary change in consciousness, lack of motivation in actions (undressing, collecting things, trying to escape, etc.);
Frequent and severe personality changes, expressed in paroxysmal mood disorders;
Significant types of autonomic disorders that occur between attacks (changes in pressure, impaired thermoregulation, various types of allergic reactions, disorders of the metabolic-endocrine type, disorders of sexual function, disorders of water-salt and fat metabolism, etc.).

Most often the disease has chronic course with a characteristic tendency towards gradual progression.

Epilepsy in children: symptoms

A problem such as epilepsy in children, the symptoms of which you already know in their general form, has a number of its own characteristics. Thus, it occurs much more often in children than in adults, and its causes may differ from similar cases. adult epilepsy, and, finally, not every seizure that occurs among children is classified as a diagnosis such as epilepsy.

The main (typical) symptoms, as well as signs of epileptic seizures in children are expressed as follows:

Convulsions, expressed in rhythmic contractions characteristic of the muscles of the body;
Temporary holding of breath involuntary urination, as well as loss of feces;
Loss of consciousness;
Extremely strong muscle tension in the body (straightening legs, bending arms). Irregularity of movements of any part of the body, expressed in twitching of the legs or arms, wrinkling or pursing of the lips, throwing back the eyes, forcing the head to turn to one side.

Besides typical forms, epilepsy in children, as, in fact, epilepsy in adolescents and its symptoms, can be expressed in forms of a different type, the features of which are not immediately recognized. For example, absence epilepsy.

Absence epilepsy: symptoms

The term absence is translated from French as “absence”. In this case, during an attack there are no falls or convulsions - the child simply freezes, ceasing to react to the events that are happening around. Absence epilepsy is characterized by the following symptoms:

Sudden freezing, interruption of activity;
Absent or intent gaze, concentrated at one point;
Inability to attract the child's attention;
Continuation of an action started by a child after a seizure, excluding the period of time with the seizure from memory.

This diagnosis often appears around 6-7 years of age, with girls getting sick about twice as often as boys. In 2/3 of cases, children have relatives with this disease. On average, absence epilepsy and symptoms last up to 6.5 years, then becoming less frequent and disappearing, or developing over time into another form of the disease.

Rolandic epilepsy: symptoms

This type of epilepsy is one of its most common forms, relevant for children. It is characterized by manifestation mainly at the age of 3-13 years, with the peak of its manifestation occurring at the age of about 7-8 years. The onset of the disease for 80% of the total number of patients occurs at 5-10 years, and, unlike the previous absence epilepsy, it differs in that about 66% of patients with it are boys.

Rolandic epilepsy, the symptoms of which are essentially typical, manifests itself in the following conditions:

The appearance of somatosensory aura (1/5 of the total number of cases). It is characterized by paresthesia (an unusual sensation of numbness of the skin) of the muscles of the larynx and pharynx, cheeks when localized on one side, as well as numbness of the gums, cheeks, and sometimes the tongue;
The occurrence of clonic unilateral, tonic-clonic seizures. In this case, the facial muscles are also involved in the process; in some cases, cramps can spread to the leg or arm. Involvement of the tongue, lips and pharyngeal muscles leads to the child describing sensations in the form of “shifting to the side of the jaw”, “chattering of teeth”, “trembling of the tongue”;
Difficulty in speech. They are expressed in the exclusion of the possibility of pronouncing words and sounds, while speech cessation can occur at the very beginning of the attack or manifests itself during its development;
Excessive salivation (hypersalivation).

A characteristic feature of this type of epilepsy is also that it mainly occurs at night. For this reason, it is also defined as nocturnal epilepsy, the symptoms of which in 80% of the total number of patients occur in the first half of the night and only 20% in the state of wakefulness and sleep. Night cramps have certain features, which, for example, lie in their relative short duration, as well as in the tendency to subsequent generalization (spread of the process throughout an organ or organism from a focus that has a limited scope).

Myoclonic epilepsy: symptoms

A type of epilepsy called myoclonic epilepsy, the symptoms of which are characterized by a combination of jerking movements during severe epileptic seizures, is also known as myoclonus epilepsy. Amazes this type diseases of both sexes, while morphological cellular studies of cells of the spinal cord and brain, as well as the liver, heart and other organs in this case reveal carbohydrate deposits.

The disease begins between the ages of 10 and 19 years, characterized by symptoms in the form of epileptic seizures. Later, myoclonus also occurs (involuntary muscle contractions in full or partial volume with or without causing a motor effect), which determines the name of the disease. Mental changes often appear as a debut. As for the frequency of seizures, it varies - it can occur either daily or at intervals of several times a month or less (with appropriate treatment). Impairments in consciousness along with seizures are also possible.

Post-traumatic epilepsy: symptoms

In this case, post-traumatic epilepsy, the symptoms of which are characterized, as in other cases, by seizures, is directly related to brain damage resulting from head trauma.

The development of this type of epilepsy is relevant for 10% of those people who have experienced severe head injuries, with the exception of penetrating brain injuries. The likelihood of epilepsy with penetrating brain injury increases to 40%. The manifestation of characteristic symptoms is possible even after several years from the moment of injury, and they depend directly on the area with pathological activity.

Alcoholic epilepsy: symptoms

Alcoholic epilepsy is a complication characteristic of alcoholism. The disease manifests itself in convulsive seizures that occur suddenly. The onset of the attack is characterized by loss of consciousness, after which the face becomes very pale and gradually turns blue. Often foam appears from the mouth during a seizure and vomiting occurs. The cessation of seizures is accompanied by a gradual return of consciousness, after which the patient often falls into a sleep lasting up to several hours.

Alcoholic epilepsy is expressed in the following symptoms:

Loss of consciousness, fainting;
Convulsions;
Severe pain, “burning”;
Muscle contraction, feeling of squeezing, tightening of the skin.

The occurrence of a seizure can occur within the first few days after stopping drinking alcohol. Often attacks are accompanied by hallucinations characteristic of alcoholism. The cause of epilepsy is prolonged alcohol poisoning, especially when using surrogates. An additional impetus can be a previous traumatic brain injury, an infectious type of disease and atherosclerosis.

Nonconvulsive epilepsy: symptoms

The nonconvulsive form of seizures in epilepsy is a fairly common variant of its development. Non-convulsive epilepsy, the symptoms of which can be expressed, for example, in twilight consciousness, appears suddenly. Its duration ranges from several minutes to several days with the same sudden disappearance.

In this case, a narrowing of consciousness occurs, in which, of the various manifestations characteristic of the external world, the patient perceives only that part of the phenomena (objects) that are emotionally significant for them. For the same reason, hallucinations and various delusional ideas often occur. Hallucinations have an extremely frightening character when their visual form is painted in dark tones. This condition can provoke an attack on others with injury to them, often the situation leads to death. This type of epilepsy is characterized mental disorders, accordingly, emotions are manifested in the extreme degree of their expression (rage, horror, less often - delight and ecstasy). After attacks, patients forget what is happening to them, and residual memories of events may appear much less frequently.

Epilepsy: first aid

Epilepsy, the first symptoms of which can frighten an unprepared person, requires certain protection of the patient from receiving possible injuries during a seizure. For this reason, for epilepsy, first aid involves providing the patient with a soft and flat surface under him, for which soft things or clothing are placed under the body. It is important to free the patient’s body from constricting objects (primarily this concerns the chest, neck and waist). The head should be turned to the side, giving the most comfortable position for exhalation of vomit and saliva.

The legs and arms should be held slightly until the seizure is over, without resisting the convulsions. To protect the tongue from bites, as well as teeth from possible fractures, something soft (napkin, scarf) is placed in the mouth. When the jaws are closed, they should not be opened. Water should not be given during an attack. When falling asleep after a seizure, you should not wake the patient.

Epilepsy: treatment

There are two main principles used in the treatment of epilepsy. The first is the individualized selection of an effective type of medication with its dosage, and the second is the long-term management of patients with the required administration and dose changes. In general, treatment is focused on creating appropriate conditions that ensure the restoration and normalization of a person’s condition at the psycho-emotional level with the correction of disturbances in the functions of certain internal organs, that is, the treatment of epilepsy is focused on the causes that provoke characteristic symptoms with their elimination.

To diagnose the disease, it is necessary to contact a neurologist, who, with appropriate monitoring of the patient, will select an appropriate solution on an individual basis. As for frequent severe mental disorders, in this case treatment is carried out by a psychiatrist.

If you think that you have Epilepsy and the symptoms characteristic of this disease, then doctors can help you: a neurologist, a psychiatrist.

We also suggest using our online disease diagnostic service, which selects probable diseases based on the entered symptoms.

Neurosyphilis is a venereal disease that impairs the functioning of some internal organs, and when untimely treatment, in a short period of time, can spread to the nervous system. It often occurs at any stage of the course of syphilis. The progression of neurosyphilis is manifested by symptoms such as seizures severe dizziness, muscle weakness, seizures, paralysis of the limbs and dementia are often observed.

Tetanus is one of the most dangerous diseases of an infectious nature, characterized by the release of a toxin, as well as significant rapidity clinical course. Tetanus, the symptoms of which also manifest themselves in damage to the nervous system in combination with generalized convulsions and tonic tension that occurs in the skeletal muscles, is an extremely serious disease - just highlight the mortality statistics, which reach about 30-50%.

Meningoencephalitis – pathological process, affecting the brain and its membranes. Most often, the disease is a complication of encephalitis and meningitis. If not treated in time, this complication may have an unfavorable prognosis with fatal. The symptoms of the disease are different for each person, since it all depends on the degree of damage to the central nervous system.

Periarteritis nodosa is a disease that affects small and medium-sized vessels. In official medicine, the disease is called necrotizing vasculitis. Common names include periarteritis, Kussmaul-Mayer disease, and panarteritis. As the pathology develops, aneurysms form, repeated damage not only to tissues, but also to internal organs.

Hypomagnesemia – pathological condition, which is characterized by a decrease in magnesium levels in the body under the influence of various etiological factors. This, in turn, leads to the progression of severe pathologies, including neurological and cardiovascular ones.

Through exercise and abstinence most of people can do without medicine.

Symptoms and treatment of human diseases

Reproduction of materials is possible only with the permission of the administration and indicating an active link to the source.

All information provided is subject to mandatory consultation with your attending physician!

Questions and suggestions:

Epileptic seizure is a seizure generated by intense neural discharges in the brain, which are manifested by motor, autonomic, mental and mental dysfunction, and sensory disturbances. Epileptic seizure is the main symptom of epilepsy, chronic illness neurological orientation. This disease is a predisposition of the body to unexpected convulsions. Distinctive feature epileptic seizures are of short duration. Usually the attack stops on its own within ten seconds. Often the attack can be serial in nature. A series of epileptic seizures, during which seizures occur one after another without a recovery period, is called status epilepticus.

Causes of epileptic seizures

Most attacks are preceded by precursors, which may include: headaches, increased and rapid heart rate, general malaise, poor sleep. Thanks to such precursors, patients can know about an approaching seizure several hours before its onset.

Aura can present clinically in different ways. The following varieties are distinguished:

— vegetative aura (expressed as vasomotor disorders and secretory dysfunctions);

- sensory (manifested by pain or discomfort in various parts of the body);

- hallucinatory (with this aura, hallucinatory light phenomena are observed, for example, sparks, flames, flashes);

- motor (consists in various movements, for example, the patient may suddenly run or start spinning in one place);

- mental (expressed by complex affects).

After passing the aura phase or without it, a “grand convulsive seizure” occurs, which is expressed, first of all, by relaxation of muscles throughout the body with a violation of statics, as a result of which the epileptic suddenly falls, and loss. Then comes the next stage of the attack - the tonic phase, represented by tonic convulsions lasting up to thirty seconds. During this phase, patients experience increased heart rate, cyanosis of the skin, and increased blood pressure. The tonic phase is followed by clonic convulsions, which are individual random movements that gradually intensify and turn into sharp and rhythmic flexions of the limbs. This phase lasts up to two minutes.

During an attack, patients often make incomprehensible sounds, reminiscent of mooing, gurgling, or groaning. This is due to convulsive spasm of the laryngeal muscles. Also, during an epileptic attack, involuntary urination or, less commonly, defecation may occur. In this case, there are no skin and muscle reflexes, the pupils of the epileptic are dilated and motionless. Foam may come from the mouth, often red, due to excess salivation and tongue bite. Gradually, convulsions weaken, muscles relax, breathing evens out, and pulse slows down. Clarity of consciousness returns slowly; first, orientation in the environment appears. After an attack, patients usually feel tired, overwhelmed, and have headaches.

Below are the main signs epileptic seizure with tonic-clonic convulsions. The patient suddenly screams and falls. If the epileptic fell slowly, as if he “got around” an obstacle in the way of the fall, then this indicates that an epileptic attack has begun. Having fallen, the epileptic forcefully presses his arms to his chest and stretches his legs. After 15-20 seconds, he begins to convulse. After the seizures stop, the epileptic gradually comes to his senses, but he does not remember what happened. In this case, the patient feels extremely tired and may fall asleep for several hours.

In fact, experts classify epilepsy by types of seizures. Wherein clinical picture The disease may vary depending on the degree of development of the pathology.

The following types of attacks are distinguished: generalized (large), partial or focal, attack without convulsions.

A generalized seizure may occur as a result of trauma, cerebral hemorrhage, or be hereditary. His clinical picture was described above.

Grand mal seizures are more common in adults than in children. The latter are more characterized by absence seizures or generalized nonconvulsive seizures.

Absence is a type of generalized seizure. short term(duration up to thirty seconds). Manifested by turning off consciousness and unseeing gaze. From the outside it seems as if the person is lost in thought or in. The frequency of such attacks varies from one to hundreds of seizures per day. The aura is unusual for this type of epileptic seizure. Sometimes absence seizures may be accompanied by twitching of the eyelid or other part of the body, or a change in complexion.

In a partial seizure, one part of the brain is involved, which is why this type of seizure is called a focal seizure. Since increased electrical activity is located in a separate focus (for example, in epilepsy caused by trauma, it is present only in the affected area), convulsions are localized in one area of the body or a certain function or system of the body (hearing, vision, etc.) fails. . During such an attack, the fingers may twitch, the leg may sway, and the foot or hand may involuntarily rotate. Also, the patient often reproduces small movements, especially those that he made immediately before the seizure (for example, adjusting clothes, continuing to walk, winking). People experience a characteristic feeling of embarrassment, discouragement, and fearfulness that persists after the attack.

An epileptic attack without convulsions is also a type of the disease in question. This type occurs in adults, but more often in children. It is distinguished by the absence of convulsions. Outwardly, the individual appears frozen during a seizure; in other words, absence occurs. Other manifestations of an attack can also occur, leading to complex epilepsy. Their symptoms are determined by the location of the affected area of the brain.

Typically, a typical seizure lasts no longer than a maximum of four minutes, but can occur several times during the day, which negatively affects usual life activities. Attacks occur even during dreams. Such seizures are dangerous because the patient may choke on vomit or saliva.

In connection with the above, many are interested in first aid for an epileptic attack. First of all, you need to remain calm. Panic is not the best help. You cannot try to forcibly restrain a person or try to limit the convulsive manifestations of an epileptic attack. The patient should be placed on a hard surface. You cannot move it during an attack.

The consequences of an epileptic attack can be different. Single short-term epileptic seizures do not have a destructive effect on brain cells, while prolonged paroxysms, especially status epilepticus, cause irreversible changes and death of neurons. Besides, serious danger lies in wait for children in case of sudden loss of consciousness, as injuries and bruises are likely. Epileptic seizures also carry Negative consequences socially. The inability to control one’s own condition at the time of an epileptic attack, as a result, the emergence of fear of new seizures in crowded places (for example, school), forces many children suffering from epileptic seizures to lead a rather solitary life and avoid communication with peers.

Epileptic seizure in a dream

A type of the disease in question is epilepsy with nocturnal seizures, characterized by attacks during the process of going to bed, during dreams or awakening. According to statistical information, almost 30% of all epilepsy sufferers suffer from this type of pathology.

Attacks that occur at night are less intense than those that occur during the day. This is explained by the fact that the neurons surrounding the pathological focus during the patient’s dream do not respond to the scope of activity, which ultimately produces less intensity.

During dreams, an attack can begin with a sudden causeless awakening, with a feeling of headache, body trembling, and vomiting. During an epileptic seizure, a person can get up on all fours or sit down, swing his legs, similar to the “bicycle” exercise.

Typically, an attack lasts from ten seconds to several minutes. Usually people remember their own sensations that arise during an attack. Also, in addition to the obvious signs of a seizure, indirect evidence often remains, such as traces of bloody foam on the pillow, a feeling of pain in the muscles of the body, abrasions and bruises may appear on the body. Rarely, after an attack in a dream, a person can wake up on the floor.

The consequences of an epileptic attack during sleep are quite ambiguous, since sleep is the most important process of the body’s life. sleep, that is, deprivation normal sleep leads to an increase in seizures, which weakens brain cells, depletes the nervous system as a whole and increases convulsive readiness. Therefore, individuals suffering from epilepsy are contraindicated from frequent or early awakenings at night, and sudden changes in time zones are undesirable. Often another seizure can be triggered by the usual ringing of an alarm clock. The dreams of a patient with epilepsy may be accompanied by clinical manifestations that are not directly related to the disease, such as nightmares, sleepwalking, urinary incontinence, etc.

What to do in case of an epileptic attack if it overtakes a person in a dream, how to deal with such seizures and how to avoid possible injuries?

To avoid injury during an epileptic attack, it is necessary to arrange a safe sleeping place. Any breakable items or anything that could cause injury should be removed from the area around the bed. You should also avoid sleeping places with high legs or with backs. It is best to sleep on the floor, for which you can purchase a mattress, or surround the bed with special mats.

To solve the problem of night attacks, it is important A complex approach. First of all, you need to get enough sleep. Night sleep should not be neglected. You should also avoid consuming various types of stimulants, such as energy drinks, coffee, and strong tea. You should also develop a special ritual for falling asleep, which will include measured movements, giving up all gadgets an hour before the planned bedtime, taking a warm shower, etc.

First aid for an epileptic seizure

It is not always possible to predict a seizure, so it is very important to have information on the topic of “epileptic seizure first aid.”

The disorder in question is one of a small number of ailments, attacks of which often cause stupor in people around them. This is partly due to a lack of knowledge about the pathology itself, as well as about the possible measures that need to be taken during an epileptic attack.

Help for an epileptic attack includes, first of all, a number of rules, following which will allow the epileptic to survive the attack with the least loss for himself. So, in order to avoid unnecessary injuries and bruises, the sick individual should be laid on a flat plane, with a soft cushion under his head (can be constructed from improvised materials, for example, from clothing). Then it is necessary to rid the person of constricting items of clothing (untie a tie, unwind a scarf, unfasten buttons, etc.), remove from him all nearby things that could injure him. It is recommended to turn the patient's head to the side.

Contrary to popular belief, it is not necessary to put foreign objects into the mouth in order to avoid the tongue getting stuck, because if the jaws are closed, then there is a possibility of breaking them, knocking out the patient’s teeth, or losing one’s own finger (during a seizure, the jaws interlock very tightly).

First aid for an epileptic seizure involves staying next to the epileptic until the seizure is completely over, keeping the person trying to help calm and collected.

During an attack, you should not try to give the patient something to drink, hold him by force, try to provide resuscitation measures, or give medications.

Often after an epileptic seizure a person becomes sleepy, so it is necessary to provide conditions for sleep.

Treatment of epileptic seizures

Many individuals would like to know what to do during an epileptic attack, because it is impossible to insure against the occurrence of the disease in question, and people from the immediate environment who may need help may also suffer from convulsions.

The basis for the treatment of epileptic seizures is the constant use of antiepileptic drugs. pharmacopoeial drugs for many years. Epilepsy in general is considered a potentially curable pathology. Achieving drug remission is possible in more than sixty percent of cases.

Today we can confidently identify basic antiepileptic drugs, which include carbamazepine and valproic acid preparations. The first is widely used in the treatment of focal epilepsy. Valproic acid preparations are successfully used both in the treatment of focal seizures and in the relief of generalized seizures.

The principles of treatment of the disease under consideration should also include etiological therapy, which involves prescribing specific therapy, eliminating the influence of epilepsy triggers, such as computer games, bright light, watching TV.

How to prevent an epileptic seizure? To achieve remission, you must adhere to a proper daily routine, a balanced diet, and regularly engage in sports exercises. Everything listed in the complex helps strengthen the bone skeleton, increase endurance and general mood.

In addition, for individuals suffering from epileptic seizures, it is important not to abuse alcoholic beverages. Alcohol can trigger an attack. A simultaneous administration antiepileptic drugs and alcoholic beverages threaten the development of severe intoxication and the occurrence of pronounced negative manifestations from taking medications. Alcohol abuse also causes disruption of sleep patterns, which leads to an increase in epileptic seizures.

An epileptic seizure is scary to look at: the patient screams, falls, convulses, his breathing is hoarse, there is foam at the mouth... People’s idea of epilepsy is made up of many myths and prejudices, and often the patients themselves are at the mercy of these myths, not fully understanding what is really happening to them.

Here are some common misconceptions.

Epilepsy is a hereditary disease; it affects only those who have relatives with epilepsy

A seizure is a loss of consciousness, convulsions, foaming at the mouth and biting the tongue

An epileptic attack is deadly

People with epilepsy are mentally disabled

Only some types of epilepsy, usually occurring in early childhood, cause mental retardation, but even in this case, with the correct selection of an antiepileptic drug, the child has a chance to develop. Most people with epilepsy have normal intelligence.

Epilepsy is incurable

Correctly selected antiepileptic therapy can completely relieve a person from seizures, and in more severe cases, significantly reduce their frequency. For some types of epilepsy, complete withdrawal of the drug is possible 3-5 years after the last attack.

Antiepileptic drugs have many side effects and are dangerous to take.

You can't have children if you have epilepsy

Epilepsy can appear from nervous tension and stress

An electroencephalogram (EGG) allows you to accurately determine whether you have epilepsy

If a child is excitable, has frequent tantrums and “rolls up” when crying, this means that he will develop epilepsy

This misconception is widespread even among pediatricians, and in Russian clinics, children with affective-respiratory attacks are often prescribed anticonvulsants. In fact, excitability and loss of consciousness when crying have nothing to do with epilepsy. Excitable children are just as likely to develop epilepsy as anyone else.

Epilepsy is a well-studied disease, and effective medications have been developed to combat it. People with epilepsy can understand the nature of their disease and learn to cope with it. Currently, epilepsy is no longer an obstacle to a full life.

Each of us has heard about epilepsy, however, not everyone understands what kind of disease it is, how it manifests itself and why it occurs. Most associate epilepsy with an epileptic seizure, during which the patient convulses and foams at the mouth. In reality, everything is not quite like that - there are many manifestations of epilepsy, in some cases the attacks occur differently.

Epilepsy has been known about for quite some time, and is perhaps one of the oldest recognized conditions in the world, with descriptions of the disease dating back several thousand years. People suffering from epilepsy and their families preferred to hide their diagnosis - this often happens today. Experts from the World Health Organization note that “for centuries, epilepsy has been surrounded by fear, misunderstanding, discrimination and social stigma. In many countries, some forms of stigma continue to this day and can affect the quality of life of people with the disorder and their families.”

March 26 is World Epilepsy Day or, as it is also called, Purple Day. It was invented in 2008 by nine-year-old Cassidy Megan, who decided to prove to society that despite her diagnosis, she was no different from all other people. Currently, around 50 million people worldwide suffer from epilepsy, which is considered one of the most common neurological diseases. People say very different things about the disease, patients and treatment methods; people are often at the mercy of stereotypes, myths and misconceptions. Let's figure out what epilepsy is, how it is treated, and what mistakes many of us make.

Epilepsy is not a mental illness

Indeed, several decades ago it was believed that the treatment of epilepsy was the prerogative of psychiatrists. And even earlier there was an opinion that epilepsy was a form of madness. Patients experiencing seizures were placed in insane asylums and isolated from society. In addition, there was a widespread view that such people should not get married and have children.

There are various shapes epilepsy and not in all cases they are hereditary. Most people suffering from this disease do not suffer from dementia or lack of intelligence - the diagnosis does not prevent them from leading a fully fulfilling life.

In cases where the patient does have mental retardation, epilepsy is most often combined with other disorders, e.g. serious illness brain

It is now absolutely clear that this disease is not mental, and people suffering from epilepsy are referred to a neurologist or epileptologist - a specialist in this particular disease.

Epilepsy can also appear in adults

Epilepsy can develop at any age, but in 70% of cases the disease is first diagnosed in children or adolescents. In addition, the disease often affects older people. The causes of epilepsy can be very different: previous infections, neurological diseases, for example, strokes.

Epilepsy can be cured

Many people believe that people diagnosed with epilepsy are doomed to a lifetime of suffering. It's not like that at all. Currently, about 70% of cases of epilepsy are treatable and in many cases remission can be achieved. It is also important that the patient adheres to treatment, that is, takes prescribed medications in a timely manner and does not violate the regimen (for example, a ban on alcohol is imposed).

There is a widespread misconception that taking antiepileptic drugs is accompanied by a number of serious complications and therefore people are suspicious of such medicines. Of course, these medications are quite serious and are taken only when prescribed by a doctor and under his supervision, but there is no need to refuse to take them - the consequences of attacks are much more dangerous for the body. Taking any prescribed drug begins with a minimum dose, gradually increasing it to the one that is suitable for each individual patient.

An attack can be triggered by various factors

There are many irritants that can cause seizures in patients with epilepsy. These include flickering light, disruption of daily routine (lack of sleep, jet lag) and nutrition, stress, alcohol, drugs and certain medications.

Living with epilepsy requires the patient to exercise quite serious self-control. Fortunately, most seizure triggers can be managed or avoided.

An epileptic seizure is not always characterized by convulsions and loss of consciousness

Many are convinced that attacks occur according to the only possible scenario - a person loses consciousness, has convulsions, and foam appears around the mouth. It's not like that at all.

“Seizures can be any sudden events that happen to a person. His task in this case is to consult a doctor, and the doctor’s task is to qualify the event. That is, the doctor must recognize what happened,” notes Kira Vladimirovna Voronkova, professor, doctor of medical sciences, neurologist, epileptologist, vice-president of the Association of Epileptologists and Patients of Russia.

What can alert a person and force him to see a doctor? “An attack of freezing, freezing, stopping of gaze and speech without falling, but with possible fiddling with hands or smacking,” adds Kira Vladimirovna, “There may be attacks of twitching of the upper and/or lower limbs. Then objects may even fall out of your hands and squats and falls back may occur.”

Other strange, from a layman's point of view, things may also arise. According to the expert, this is visual images(not to be confused with migraine!), sometimes very simple, as well as auditory, olfactory, and taste hallucinations; local numbness and twitching in one limb, sometimes spreading to other areas (for example, a hand may “tremble” or numbness in the face may occur). There may be a feeling of a strange situation, some strange thoughts and feelings, distortions of reality. All these phenomena and others should make the patient think about going to a neurologist. It is important that any sudden strange attacks should alert a person, but only a doctor can assess what is happening.

You need to know how to help a person experiencing an epileptic seizure

If a person nearby experiences the most well-known type of epileptic attack - with falls, convulsions and loss of consciousness, sometimes with biting the tongue, foaming at the mouth - then the most important thing in this case is not to cause harm.

“You need to put a person on his side, put a soft object under his head (clothes or a bag, for example) and time it,” explains Kira Vladimirovna. “It is strictly forbidden to put something in your mouth, unclench your teeth, restrain and lean on a person, or pour water on him. Attacks usually start and end on their own, and consciousness after an attack may be confused. Sometimes it is necessary to call an ambulance, especially if the attack lasts for more than a few minutes. However, if the above-described attacks occur without falls, then it is enough just to stay close to the person and watch so that he does not end up in a traumatic situation.”

Spasms(Greek spasmos spasm) - involuntary tonic contraction of striated or smooth muscles. Clear Clinical signs, on the basis of which it would be possible to distinguish spasms from various options There are no tonic convulsions.

When the pyramidal system is damaged, skeletal muscle spasms are characterized by constant tonic tension in certain muscle groups of the paralyzed limb (see Paralysis, paresis). When the extrapyramidal system is affected, muscle spasms are also permanent, but they affect all striated muscles, creating general stiffness and muscle rigidity (Parkinsonism). Depending on the localization of the pathological focus in the extrapyramidal system, spasms of individual muscle groups, for example, the muscles of one half of the neck - torticollis, facial muscles, blepharospasm, muscles of the limbs and torso - torsion dystonia, writer's cramp and so on.

With damage to the peripheral nervous system, for example, with spondylogenic radiculitis (see Osteochondrosis, Radiculitis), constant spasm of the anterior scalene muscle in the neck, piriformis, and quadriceps muscles of the thigh may be observed. calf muscle etc. Such muscle spasms are usually accompanied by intense painful sensations. For neuralgia trigeminal nerve and tetanus, spasm of the masticatory muscles (Trysmus) is observed. In the residual stage of neuritis of the facial nerve (see Neuritis), spasm of the facial muscles (hemispasm) may occur. Muscle spasm at the beginning of movement, during muscle effort or in the cold can be observed with myotonia.

At functional disorders nervous system, during emotional stress, muscle spasms are manifested by short-term tension of individual muscles or small groups of them, for example, on the face, in the hands, and so on.

In pathology of the autonomic nervous system, spasms of smooth muscles of the walls of blood vessels and internal organs often occur - vasospasm, bronchospasm, laryngospasm, spasm of the esophagus (Pylorospasm), stomach, intestines, and so on. Muscle spasm caused by an imbalance of ion-electrolyte balance is observed in hypoparathyroidism (parathyroid glands), spasmophilia, chronic renal failure, etc.

Seizures- This is the result of a sudden, uncontrolled influx of electrical energy into the brain - like a short circuit. Some seizures look frightening: a person falls to the floor, his arms and legs twitch, and foam comes out of the mouth. Others are so short-lived and mild that they go unnoticed - even by those who experience them.

Seizures are divided into two large groups :

1) partial seizure occurring due to abnormal electrical activity in a certain area of the brain,

2) a generalized seizure that occurs due to abnormal electrical activity of nerve cells scattered in the brain.

Causes .

Sometimes seizures have no apparent cause. Some of them can be correlated with conditions such as:

Head injury, - brain tumor, - infection, - stroke, - metabolic disorders or hormonal disorders such as diabetes,- alcohol abstinence.

Symptoms .

Symptoms depend on the type of seizure.

1) “Grand Mal” seizure.

This generalized convulsion is the most severe type of seizure. Immediately before its onset, the patient’s mood may change sharply; sometimes he experiences a condition that doctors call an aura. At the same time, the patient sees, hears, tastes and smells strange things. Then the following usually happens:

A man loses consciousness- the muscles of the torso, arms and legs contract and freeze motionless,- a person falls and stops breathing. He may bite his tongue and lose bladder control,- the muscles begin to contract rhythmically,- the person begins to sweat, breathe deeply and frequently, he has fast pulse, foam may appear at the mouth,- muscles relax and breathing becomes deeper,- the seizure ends, the person comes to his senses, disoriented and with clouded consciousness, complains of headache, muscle pain and fatigue.

Usually the patient does not remember anything about the seizure. Then he will sleep for several hours.

2) Myoclonic seizure

This is a type of generalized seizure where a person experiences twitching of one or more muscle groups. Lasts for several seconds.

3) Atonic seizure

This condition also causes the muscles to twitch and then relax.

4) Akinetic seizure

The person briefly completely loses muscle tone and consciousness. He falls and may suffer a head injury.

5) Absence seizure

The person stops all activity and stares at nothing for more than 15 seconds. At this moment he does not perceive anything. People around him may not notice anything unusual in his behavior, although closer observation may reveal moments of disconnection. Such seizures often occur in children.

6) Simple partial seizure

Strange movements occur in one part of the body, which can spread to neighboring parts. Sometimes people feel tingling or numbness in this area, but their state of mind remains fairly normal.

7) Complicated partial seizure

Usually a person will have an aura and then lose consciousness. May be in a twilight state. When there is abnormal activity in the temporal lobe of the brain, a person experiences automatisms, that is, unconscious repetitive movements: chewing, licking lips, grimacing, stroking someone’s clothes, etc.

8) Epileptic state

This can be one long seizure or many short ones, in between which the person completely returns to normal.

A generalized seizure can be life-threatening, compromising cardiac and respiratory function. An epileptic condition can also cause brain damage.

What NOT to do :

1) Do not try to stop the seizure - for example, by pouring water on the patient.

2) Do not move the neck of the fallen person. If you need to turn it on its side, for example, when vomiting, roll it over. You will need an assistant so that one person can hold the neck and head in one position while the other turns the body and legs.

3) Do not restrain the patient unless the movements threaten his safety.

4) Don't let him eat or drink.

5) If the patient's teeth are clenched, do not try to put anything between them. You could damage his teeth, risk being bitten, and his tongue could fall back, blocking his airway.

What to do :

Most seizures stop on their own within 30 seconds or after a few minutes. The main goal is to prevent the person from injuring themselves during a seizure.

1) Prevent injury. Catch and lay down the falling person. Remove sharp objects, furniture, etc. from the road. If you do not have time to catch a falling person, protect his neck by placing a rolled up coat or something suitable.

Cover the patient with pillows or rolled blankets. Loosen clothing around the neck. Place the person on their side to prevent suffocation. If the patient is vomiting, clear the vomit from the nose and mouth, but not with your fingers.

2) Provide help. Call an ambulance as soon as possible in the following cases:

A seizure occurs in a pregnant woman,- a seizure occurs in a person who has never had a seizure before,- the patient does not come to his senses for a long time,- the seizure lasts more than 5 minutes,- the patient was injured during a seizure.

If the seizure was mild, consult your doctor.

3) Open the window and loosen tight clothing to make breathing easier.

4) When the condition of the patient who has experienced a seizure becomes stable, he should have an electroencephalogram - a recording of brain wave activity. This will help determine the location of the abnormal brain activity. Other useful diagnostic procedures:

CT scan showing abnormalities in the brain- magnetic resonance imaging, which allows you to see areas of the brain hidden behind the bones,- a blood test that determines blood sugar and calcium levels.

5) Take prescribed medications. You may be prescribed anticonvulsant medications such as Dilantin, Tegretol, Depaquene, or phenobarbital.

6) Determine the reasons. Cramps are often caused by fatigue, stress, or alcohol or drug use. To determine the triggering causes, the doctor may recommend that the patient keep a diary. seizures, where you should record your nutrition, stress levels, and other style information. Everyday life. If a seizure occurs, your doctor can use these records to try to determine what triggered it.

7) Pay attention to yourself. Some people find exercise and relaxation techniques to help relieve stress and reduce the frequency of seizures.

8) Wear identification. If you are prone to seizures, you should wear a medical bracelet or medallion. In this case, if a person loses consciousness, doctors will know what is wrong and what measures to take.

Seizure monitoring .

To help your doctor determine the type of seizure, monitor the person closely during and after the seizure. Then try to write down the answers to the following questions.

1) How long did the seizure last?2) When did it start?3) When did it end?4) What happened immediately before the seizure?5) Did the patient complain of strange sensations and moods right before the seizure?6) Did he see, hear, smell or taste anything unusual?7) What happened during the seizure?8) Did the patient lose consciousness or fall?9) What was the type of muscle movement? Rhythmic or not? Permanent or not?10) Did the patient laugh? 11) Did you cry? 12) Snored? 13) Did you make other sounds?14) Was there any drooling?15) Did he lose control of his bladder?16) Did you stop breathing?17) Is your breathing fast or deep?18) Was there foam at the mouth?19) Did the patient make repetitive movements: licking lips, grimacing, chewing, scratching, shaking off clothes?20) What happened after the seizure?21) Did the patient seem drugged or drunk? 22) Did you fall asleep? 23) Did you complain of headache, muscle pain, fatigue?24) Does he remember the seizure?