Seizure control in patients with glioma

  Seizures are a group of syndromes characterized by temporary central nervous system malfunction caused by abnormal neuronal discharges in the brain, manifesting as different disorders of movement, sensation, consciousness, behavior and vegetative nerves. If the tumor is located in the cerebral hemisphere, there is a possibility of seizures. There are many types of seizures caused by brain tumors, the most common being convulsions of the face, upper or lower extremities with incomplete loss of consciousness, called “simple partial seizures”. There is also the possibility of unresponsive or impaired consciousness, unaware of what is happening around them, which is called a complex partial seizure. Some patients may have generalized tremors, limb spasms, and loss of consciousness, which are called “generalized” or “tonic clonic” seizures. The first two types of seizures are commonly referred to as “petit mal seizures” and the last type of seizure is commonly referred to as “grand mal seizures”.  Seizures caused by gliomas are most often seen in low-grade gliomas, with oligodendrogliomas being the most common, especially those located in the frontal, temporal, insular and parietal lobes. In many cases, seizures are the first or only symptom of a glioma. Even after tumor removal or while taking antiepileptic medications, the possibility of seizures remains, especially if overwork, late nights, emotional stress, and excessive television viewing are present. Seizures can not only be physically harmful to the patient, but can also cause great emotional stress and fear for the patient and his or her family. Therefore, it is necessary to introduce some common sense knowledge about coping with seizures for your reference.  For people with a history of seizures, it is important to avoid dangerous jobs and activities such as working at height, driving cars and swimming, overwork, staying up late, getting emotional and watching TV for too long, especially playing computer games for too long, while taking anti-seizure medication as recommended by the doctor on time. If there are still frequent seizures during the medication period, the patient should be reviewed in time to adjust the dose of anti-epileptic drugs or change the anti-epileptic drugs.  For the patient’s family, it is important to remain calm when the patient has a seizure, reassuring the patient not to be nervous while taking the following measures to deal with the seizure: take note of the patient’s performance and time of seizure, have the patient lie on his or her side in place, remove any objects that could potentially hurt the patient, protect the patient’s head with something soft, such as a cushion or rolled-up clothing, and loosen the patient’s overly tight collar. Avoid putting anything in the patient’s mouth and avoid restraining the patient’s spastic limb to avoid injury or fracture of the limb. If a seizure lasts more than 5 minutes or if a second seizure occurs before the first one recovers, an ambulance should be called. If the patient is injured or has difficulty breathing, an ambulance should also be called and the patient should be taken to a hospital promptly for treatment.