OVERVIEW
Epilepsy is a chronic brain disorder caused by abnormal over-discharge of neurons in the brain.
Common causes include brain developmental abnormalities, genetic factors, infections, etc.
The main treatment method is medication
A small number of patients can recover on their own, and most of them do not need long-term medication.
What is Epilepsy?
Definition
Epilepsy is a chronic disorder of brain dysfunction caused by abnormal discharges of neurons in the brain, and is one of the most common neurological disorders.
The seizure process is called epileptic seizure and is repetitive, stereotypical, brief and episodic.
A patient may have one or several different epileptic seizures.
Classification
Depending on the cause, epilepsy can be categorized as symptomatic epilepsy, idiopathic epilepsy and cryptogenic epilepsy.
Symptomatic epilepsy: epilepsy with a definite cause, also known as secondary epilepsy.
Idiopathic epilepsy: epilepsy with an unknown cause, also known as primary epilepsy, which may be closely related to genetic factors.
Cryptogenic epilepsy: the most common type of epilepsy that presents as symptomatic epilepsy, but the cause has not been clarified.
Morbidity
Epilepsy is common in children and the elderly, and affects about 5 out of every 1,000 people.
There are about 9 million people with epilepsy in China, and 650,000 to 700,000 people are newly diagnosed each year, about 30% of whom have refractory epilepsy.
The mortality rate of this disease is two to three times higher than that of the general population, with 1.3 to 3.6 deaths per 100,000 people.
Questions you may be concerned about
What should people with epilepsy not eat?
People with epilepsy are forbidden to drink alcohol, cola, strong tea and strong coffee.
Seizures originate from abnormal over-discharge of neurons in the brain.
Alcohol, caffeine and theophylline in cola, tea and coffee have the ability to affect the central nervous system and may cause seizures. Alcohol is also able to affect the metabolism of antiepileptic drugs, affecting the efficacy of the drug and increasing the burden of liver metabolism in patients.
In addition, too cold, too hot, spicy and stimulating food may cause adverse stimulation to the patient, inducing seizures, and should not be consumed.
Is it possible to break the root of epilepsy treatment?
For patients with secondary epilepsy, it is possible to break the root of the disease with treatment.
Secondary epilepsy can be caused by central nervous system infections and tumors. Epilepsy can be effectively controlled or even cured by anti-infection treatment and tumor resection surgery.
For idiopathic epilepsy and cryptogenic epilepsy, due to the unknown cause, they can usually only be controlled by medication, which is difficult to eradicate. Some patients can have their seizures controlled by surgery such as epileptic lesion resection and corpus callosotomy.
Can epilepsy heal itself?
Some specific types of epilepsy can resolve on their own, and most people with epilepsy resolve on their own or with treatment.
Benign epilepsy in children is the most common form of partial epilepsy in childhood, and most resolve on their own during adolescence.
In about 25% of people with epilepsy, the condition may resolve on its own, even without treatment.
About 70% of people with epilepsy have complete seizure control with aggressive treatment, and about 50% of people with epilepsy have lifelong reoccurrences of seizures after regular medication reductions.
Causes
Common Causes
The cause of idiopathic epilepsy is unknown.
Common causes of symptomatic epilepsy are listed below:
Cerebrovascular disease.
Traumatic brain injury.
Brain developmental abnormalities.
Central nervous system infections.
Brain tumors.
Degenerative diseases of the nervous system.
Other etiologies
Drug or alcohol withdrawal.
Poisoning.
Inherited metabolic disorders.
Cerebrovascular malformations.
Autoimmune diseases.
Cerebral palsy and mental retardation.
Brain surgery.
Factors affecting seizures
Age
Certain seizure types are closely related to age, such as infantile spasms that start within 1 year of age, childhood catatonic epilepsy that peaks at 6 to 7 years of age, and myoclonic epilepsy that starts around puberty.
The common causes of epilepsy in each age group are listed below:
Infancy is mostly due to perinatal injuries, congenital diseases and metabolic disorders.
In childhood, acute infections, idiopathic epilepsy, febrile convulsions, etc. are most common.
Adolescence is mostly idiopathic epilepsy, craniocerebral trauma, vascular malformations and so on.
Adults are mostly craniocerebral trauma, brain tumor, idiopathic epilepsy, cerebrovascular disease and metabolic disorders.
In old age, it is mostly cerebrovascular disease, brain tumor, Alzheimer’s disease accompanied, etc.
Heredity
The prevalence of close relatives of patients with symptomatic epilepsy is 15‰, which is higher than that of the general population.
Sleep
Lack of sleep can exacerbate seizures.
Seizures are closely related to the sleep-wake cycle, e.g. generalized tonic-clonic seizures often occur in the morning after waking up.
Infantile spasms tend to occur upon awakening and at bedtime.
Benign childhood epilepsy with central temporal spikes often occurs during sleep.
Changes in the internal environment
Excessive fatigue, alcohol consumption, endocrine disorders, electrolyte disorders and metabolic abnormalities can lead to epileptic seizures.
A few patients have seizures only during menstruation or pregnancy.
Pathogenesis
The pathogenesis of epilepsy is very complex. It may be related to abnormal ion channel function, neurotransmitter abnormality, glial cell abnormality and so on.
Symptoms
The clinical manifestations of epilepsy are rich and varied, and the symptoms depend on the type of seizure. However, they all share the following common features:
Episodic, i.e., the symptoms occur suddenly, last for a period of time and then recover quickly, with normal intervals.
Transient, i.e., the seizure lasts for a very short period of time, usually a few seconds or minutes, and rarely more than half an hour, except in status epilepticus.
Repetitive, i.e. the first seizure is followed by a second or more at various intervals.
Stereotypicality, meaning that the clinical presentation of each seizure is almost identical.
On the basis of clinical manifestations and EEG features during seizures, seizures are usually classified as generalized seizures, focal seizures, and seizures that cannot be classified, such as epileptic spasms.
Generalized seizures
Generalized tonic clonic seizure
It is the most obvious form of seizure and used to be called grand mal seizure.
During a seizure, the patient may experience loss of consciousness, dilated pupils, apnea, cyanosis, foaming at the mouth, and bilateral tonic clonic seizures, which usually last 1 to 5 minutes. It takes 5-15 minutes from the onset of the seizure to recovery of consciousness. Upon awakening, headache, generalized muscle pain, fatigue, no memory of the seizure.
Loss of consciousness seizure
Typical apoplectic seizures are characterized by a sudden onset and cessation of loss of consciousness, often lasting 5 to 20 seconds.
During the seizure, the patient may suddenly stop the original activity, drop the object in his hand, call out but not answer, and stare at the front, but do not fall to the ground.
The patient is conscious immediately afterwards and has no memory of the seizure.
Tonic seizure
Continuous contraction of the muscles of both limbs or the whole body, muscle rigidity, without clonus.
The limbs or trunk may be immobilized in a particular position.
Clonic seizure
Rhythmic jerking of the limbs bilaterally, mostly lasting several minutes.
Myoclonic seizure
Sudden, brief, rapid, electric shock-like twitching of the muscles, which may be confined to a single muscle or group of muscles in the face, trunk, or limbs, or may spread throughout the body.
Dystonic seizure
A sudden relaxation of the muscles of the head, trunk, or limbs, which may be as mild as a nodding motion or as severe as a sudden fall while standing, lasting about 1 to 2 seconds or longer.
Focal Seizures
Focal seizures with clear consciousness
Partial motor seizures
These are characterized by repetitive twitching of a localized limb, most often of one side of the mouth, eyelids, fingers or toes, the entire side of the face, or one limb.
Twisting seizures
A seizure in which one upper limb is abducted, the elbow is semi-flexed, and a gaze is directed toward the hand on that side.
Phonetic seizures
Involuntary repetition of a single sound or word, or inability to speak.
Somatosensory seizures
A sensation of pins and needles, numbness, electric shock, or abnormal proprioception in one or both limbs.
Special sensory seizures
These include having simple or complex hallucinations (simple visual hallucinations of points or straight lines, or complex visual hallucinations of objects or faces), auditory hallucinations, olfactory hallucinations, taste hallucinations, and vertigo attacks.
Autonomic nervous system manifestations
Such as epigastric pain, belching or bloating, vomiting, excessive sweating, pallor or flushing, erectile dyskinesia (upright ends of body hair), dilated pupils of the eyes, and urinary incontinence.
Mental seizures
Memory disorders: e.g., déjà vu syndrome, old things are new again syndrome, rapid recall of past events.
Recognition disorders: e.g., dream-like states, feelings of unreality, depersonalization (increased self-focus, but all or part of the self seems unreal, distant, or false. This alteration occurs when the sensory system is normal and emotional expression is intact, and self-awareness is generally preserved). .
Emotional abnormalities: episodes of depression, fear, etc.
Delusions: e.g., misperceptions or optical illusions, distorted vision.
Structural hallucinatory seizures.
Focal seizures with impaired consciousness
Automatisms: the patient is partially or completely maladjusted to the environment, making some apparently purposeful movements, such as repeatedly rubbing the hands, stroking the face (covering the face), unbuttoning, undressing, or sucking, chewing, or even wandering (strolling), running, etc., and there is amnesia after the seizure.
Epileptic spasms
Can be generalized in origin, focal in origin, or of unknown origin.
It manifests as a sudden, tonic contraction mainly involving the mid-trunk and proximal muscles of bilateral limbs, lasting 0.2 to 2 seconds, with a sudden onset and stop.
Clinically, they can be categorized as flexion-type or extension-type spasms, with the former being more common, manifested by episodic nodding movements, often in a series of episodes after awakening.
Reflex seizures
Reflex seizures are not a separate type of seizure. It can manifest as either focal or generalized seizures.
The seizures have specific exogenous or endogenous triggers, i.e., each seizure is triggered by a specific sensory stimulus.
Promoters include non-pathological factors such as vision, thinking, music, reading, eating, manipulation, etc., and can be simple sensory stimuli (e.g., flashes of light) or complex intellectual activities (e.g., reading, playing chess).
Seizures induced by pathological conditions such as fever, alcohol or drug withdrawal are not reflexive.
Consultation
Department of Medicine
Neurology
If seizure symptoms such as blurred consciousness, twitching of limbs, involuntary movements, etc. suddenly appear, consult a doctor as soon as possible after the seizure stops.
Emergency Department
If any of the following occurs, it is recommended to go to the Emergency Department as soon as possible or call the 120 emergency number.
Symptoms such as limb twitching and involuntary movements are not relieved for more than 5 minutes.
The patient has apnea and loss of consciousness after the seizure stops.
Seizures in pregnant women.
Fever accompanied by convulsions.
Seizure stops, followed by a second seizure.
Preparation for medical treatment
Preparing for your visit: registering, preparing your documents, FAQs
Tips for your visit to the doctor
The clinical symptoms of epilepsy are complex. You should try to keep a record of the symptoms, duration and frequency of seizures so that you can give your doctor more information.
If the patient’s whole body is convulsing, you should remove dangerous objects around you, and do not forcefully pry open the mouth or stuff towels or chopsticks in the patient’s mouth.
Special Note: Family members are recommended to accompany the patient to the doctor in case the patient falls or has an accident.
Preparation Checklist
症状清单
What are the symptoms before, during and after the seizure?
Is this the first seizure?
How long does each seizure last?
Was there high fever during the seizure?
病史清单
Is there a family history of epilepsy?
Any previous encephalitis, meningitis, or trauma to the brain?
检查清单
Imaging tests: cranial CT, cranial MRI
Laboratory tests: blood test, urine test
Other tests: electroencephalography, electrocardiography, cerebrospinal fluid, genetic testing
用药清单
Phenytoin sodium, carbamazepine, valproate, gabapentin, oxcarbazepine, lamotrigine, phenobarbital, topiramate, aminocaproic acid, midazolam
Diagnosis
Diagnosis is based on
Medical History
The patient’s mother may have a history of specific medications during pregnancy.
There may have been abnormalities in the perinatal period, such as birth trauma or postnatal trauma.
There may have been certain illnesses in the past, such as cranial trauma, encephalitis, meningitis, heart disease, or liver or kidney disease.
There may be a history of seizures or associated disorders (e.g., migraines) in the patient’s relatives at all levels.
Clinical manifestations
Symptoms
The clinical manifestations of epilepsy are varied, with specific symptoms depending on the type of seizure, but all share the following common features.
Episodic, i.e., the symptoms occur suddenly and last for a period of time followed by a rapid recovery with normal intervals.
Briefness, i.e. the seizure lasts for a very short time, usually seconds or minutes, and rarely more than half an hour, except in status epilepticus.
Repetitive, i.e. the first seizure is followed by a second or more at various intervals.
Stereotypical, meaning that the clinical presentation of each seizure is almost identical.
Physical signs
The doctor will focus on the patient’s state of consciousness, mental status, limb strength, various reflexes and pathological signs.
The doctor will also observe the shape and size of the patient’s head, appearance, and physical deformities to screen for certain neurocutaneous syndromes.
Laboratory Tests
Blood tests
These include routine blood tests, blood glucose, electrolytes, liver and kidney function, blood gases, pyruvate, lactate, etc. They can help find the cause of the disease.
Regular checking of blood routine and indicators of liver and kidney function can assist in monitoring adverse drug reactions.
Toxicity screening is also performed when there is clinical suspicion of poisoning.
For those who are already taking antiepileptic drugs, drug concentration monitoring will be performed at the doctor’s discretion.
Urinalysis
Includes routine urinalysis and screening for inherited metabolic diseases.
Cerebrospinal fluid test
Can rule out intracranial infectious diseases and is also helpful in the diagnosis of certain inherited metabolic diseases.
Imaging
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is highly valuable in detecting structural abnormalities of the brain. Routine MRI of the head is recommended.
CT of the head has advantages over MRI in showing calcific or hemorrhagic lesions.
Metal objects worn on the body need to be removed before performing head CT and MRI.
Electroencephalography
The most essential feature of epileptic seizures is the abnormal over-discharge of neurons in the brain, and EEG is the most intuitive and convenient test that can reflect the electrical activity of the brain, and it is the most important auxiliary means for diagnosing epileptic seizures and determining the type of epileptic seizures, and it is a routine test for epileptic patients.
Electrocardiogram
For patients with suspected or newly diagnosed epilepsy, electrocardiography (ECG) is routinely performed to help detect certain cardiac seizures (e.g. syncope due to arrhythmia) that are easily misdiagnosed as epileptic seizures, and to detect certain arrhythmias (e.g. long QT syndrome, Brugada syndrome, conduction block, etc.) at an early stage, thus avoiding misdiagnosis.
Genetic testing
Genetic testing has become an important diagnostic aid.
It is not used as a routine etiologic screen and is usually performed when there is a high degree of clinical suspicion of a disease.
Differential diagnosis
Syncope
Similarity: both have episodes of loss of consciousness.
Differences: There are more differences between the two, as follows.
Compared with epileptic seizures, syncope has clear triggers, such as nervousness, emotional excitement, standing for a long time, coughing, laughing, urination, defecation and so on.
It can often be characterized by pallor, sweating, sometimes irregular pulse, occasionally accompanied by twitching and urinary incontinence.
Loss of consciousness caused by reflex syncope rarely exceeds 15 seconds and is characterized by a rapid return of consciousness and full wakefulness, without postictal blurring of consciousness.
The interictal EEG is usually without abnormalities.
Pseudoseizures
Similarity: both may have blurred consciousness and limb twitching.
Differences: There are many differences between the two, as follows.
In pseudoseizures, the patient often has a seizure after being mentally stimulated or in the presence of other people.
Seizures can take various forms, with non-stop shouting and twitching of limbs, strong self-expression, exaggerated movements, often with eyes closed tightly, pale/red face, no tongue biting and urinary incontinence, and no fall injuries.
Patients with pseudoseizures may respond to external stimuli.
Seizures may last for several hours and the patient needs to be relieved by reassurance or suggestion.
Migraine
Similarities: Both can have visual hallucinations.
Differences: Compared with epileptic seizures, migraine headaches occur slowly and last for a longer period of time, which may last for several hours or days; they may be preceded by flashes of light, dark spots, hemianopsia (loss of visual field), and blurred vision; they are mainly characterized by severe headache, often accompanied by nausea and vomiting; and they are rarely accompanied by impaired consciousness.
Transient ischemic attack
Similarities: Both can be characterized by a fall.
Differences: There are many differences between the two, as follows.
Transient ischemic attacks are more common in the elderly. There are risk factors for atherosclerotic attacks, such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus and hyperlipidemia. Consciousness is clear during the falling attack and can stand up quickly. There are no epileptic discharges (abnormal overdischarge of neurons in the brain) on the EEG.
Epilepsy is seen at any age, with a prevalence in adolescents. Dystonic seizures are characterized by a fall or a sudden collapse that lasts from a few seconds to a minute. In shorter cases, impaired consciousness is not apparent, and the person is conscious and stands up immediately after the seizure. The EEG shows multiple spikes-slow waves or low-potential activity.
Tourette’s syndrome
Similarities: Tourette’s syndrome.
Differences: There are more differences between the two, as follows.
Tourette’s syndrome occurs in children between 5 and 10 years of age.
The episodes are characterized by sudden, repetitive and stereotyped involuntary twitching of one or more groups of muscles, usually non-rhythmic, mostly in the face, neck, shoulders and upper limbs, and the episodes are characterized by clear consciousness.
They are often accompanied by attention deficits, learning difficulties, obsessive-compulsive behavior, or obscene language (profanity).
Hypoglycemia
Similarities: Twitching of limbs or tetany with loss of consciousness.
Differences: Hypoglycemia may be associated with a history of diabetes, overdose of hypoglycemic medication, or failure to eat promptly after taking medication. Blood glucose levels below 2 mmol/L can produce localized epileptiform jerks or limb tonus with loss of consciousness; the patient’s seizures tend to be partial seizures and are ineffective on conventional antiepileptic drugs, commonly seen in patients with islet B-cell tumors or type 2 diabetes who have been on long-term glucose-lowering medications.
Febrile convulsions
Similarities: shaking of limbs, loss of consciousness.
Differences: There are more differences between the two, as follows.
Febrile convulsions mostly occur in children aged 6 months to 5 years.
The manifestation of the child in the fever state (anal temperature ≥ 38.5 ℃, axillary temperature ≥ 38 ℃) appeared in the convulsive seizures, usually within 24 hours after the fever, seizures of generalized tonic spasm or clonic seizures, loss of consciousness, eyes rolled up or squinted, cyanosis of the lips and mouth (skin and mucous membranes cyanosis).
Most are simple febrile convulsions with seizures lasting 1 to 3 minutes.
Treatment
Aim of treatment: to reduce the number of seizures and improve the quality of life.
Treatment principle: Patients with a clear cause should be treated for the cause. The majority of patients without a clear cause or unable to cure the cause of the disease should be treated with medication.
First aid treatment during seizure
Undo the collar to keep the airway open, and quickly clear the patient’s mouth of foreign objects to prevent choking or suffocation.
Do not stuff anything into the patient’s mouth, and do not force-feed food or drugs.
If the patient’s limbs are convulsing violently, do not forcefully pull or press the limbs, or it is likely to lead to fractures.
If the seizures are continuous or frequent, call “120” in time to get help from medical personnel as soon as possible.
Medication
Purpose of treatment
Control or minimize the number of attacks.
Long-term treatment without obvious adverse effects.
To maintain or restore the patient’s original physical, psychological and social functioning.
Commonly used drugs
See the table below for details.
Seizure type and epilepsy syndrome drugs
Adult partial seizures Grade A: carbamazepine, phenytoin sodium Grade B: sodium valproate Grade C: gabapentin, lamotrigine, oxcarbazepine, phenobarbital, topiramate, aminocaproic acid
Adult partial seizures
Grade A: Carbamazepine, Phenytoin sodium Grade B: Sodium valproate Grade C: Gabapentin, Lamotrigine, Oxcarbazepine, Phenobarbital, Topiramate, Aminocaproic acid
Partial seizures in children Grade A: Oxcarbazepine Grade B: None Grade C: Carbamazepine, Phenobarbital, Phenytoin Sodium, Topiramate, Sodium Valproate
Partial seizures in children
Grade A: Oxcarbazepine Grade B: None Grade C: Carbamazepine, Phenobarbital, Phenytoin Sodium, Topiramate, Sodium Valproate
Partial seizures in the elderly Grade A: Gabapentin, Lamotrigine Grade B: None Grade C: Carbamazepine
Partial seizures in the elderly
Grade A: Gabapentin, Lamotrigine Grade B: None Grade C: Carbamazepine
Adult generalized tonic-clonic seizures Grade A: None Grade B: None Grade C: Carbamazepine, Lamotrigine, Oxcarbazepine, Phenobarbital, Phenytoin Sodium, Topiramate, Sodium Valproate
Adult generalized tonic-clonic seizures
Grade A: None Grade B: None Grade C: Carbamazepine, Lamotrigine, Oxcarbazepine, Phenobarbital, Phenytoin sodium, Topiramate, Sodium valproate
Children with generalized tonic-clonic seizures Grade A: no Grade B: no Grade C: carbamazepine, phenobarbital, phenytoin sodium, topiramate, sodium valproate
Generalized tonic-clonic seizures in children
Grade A: no Grade B: no Grade C: carbamazepine, phenobarbital, phenytoin sodium, topiramate, sodium valproate
Grade A: no Grade B: no Grade C: ethosuximide, lamotrigine, valproate in children with apoplectic seizures
Childhood catatonic seizures
Grade A: no Grade B: no Grade C: ethosuximide, lamotrigine, sodium valproate
Benign childhood epilepsy with central-temporal spikes Grade A: no Grade B: no Grade C: carbamazepine, sodium valproate
Benign childhood epilepsy with central-temporal spikes
Grade A: none Grade B: none Grade C: carbamazepine, sodium valproate
(Note: Initial monotherapy for a specific type of epilepsy is clinically considered first for grades A and B, then for grade C)
Precautions
Take medication on time, in the right amount, and regularly, avoid missing doses, and prohibit unauthorized stopping, reducing, or changing medication.
Patients and their family members need to correct misconceptions, such as not taking medication as prescribed for fear of adverse drug reactions, and some patients think that they can stop taking medication if they do not have seizures for a period of time.
The following methods can help improve medication adherence and can be supported by the patient’s family: strengthening the monitoring of adverse effects, keeping a medication record, using dated pill boxes, and using reminder notes and alarm clocks.
Surgery
If regular antiepileptic drug treatment is not effective, appropriate surgical treatment can be considered to reduce the patient’s seizures.
Ketogenic Diet
The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, moderate-protein, low-carbohydrate dietary regimen used primarily to treat refractory childhood epilepsy. Before starting the ketogenic diet, a thorough evaluation of the patient by a physician is required to exclude patients with contraindications.
The weight ratio of fat to protein + carbohydrate combination in the ketogenic diet is 4:1.
The diet needs to avoid high carbohydrate foods such as starchy fruits and vegetables, bread, pasta, cereals, sugar, and beer.
Increase the intake of high-fat foods such as meats (salmon, lamb, beef, chicken thighs, etc.), nuts (walnuts, almonds, pine nuts, etc.), avocado, butter, and cooking oils (olive oil, coconut oil).
Choose vegetables that are low in sugar, such as winter squash, zucchini, bitter melon, tomatoes, onions and celery.
The ketogenic diet needs to be used under the supervision of a dietitian.
Prognosis
Cure
25% of people with epilepsy have a tendency to go into spontaneous remission. Some specific types of epilepsy can resolve spontaneously, e.g. most benign epilepsies in children resolve spontaneously during adolescence.
Seizures can be controlled by regular use of antiepileptic drugs in 70% of patients, and more than 50% of patients will not have seizures again in their lifetime after receiving regular treatment.
Epilepsy is treated to control seizures and most of them do not affect life expectancy. Some epilepsy is caused by brain tumors, cerebrovascular disease, etc. The survival time is related to the disease causing epilepsy, and some malignant tumors may affect the survival time of patients.
Hazards
Having a seizure while driving or doing sports can be life-threatening as it can lead to serious trauma such as a car accident.
Daily
Daily management
Dietary management
Daily diet should be light, avoid overfilling and overstuffing, overcooling and overheating, smoking and alcohol, as well as spicy and stimulating foods.
Increase the daily intake of vegetables and fruits, ensure the supply of dietary fiber, minerals (especially calcium, iron, etc.) and vitamins, and ensure smooth bowel movement.
Long-term use of antiepileptic drugs may affect the metabolism and absorption of folic acid, which can seriously lead to megaloblastic anemia. In addition to vegetables and fruits, it is necessary to supplement animal offal, eggs, beans, yeast and nuts.
Prohibit the consumption of alcohol, cola, strong tea and strong coffee.
Dietary treatments for seizures need to be in strict accordance with the physician’s instructions, especially the ketogenic diet for the treatment of epilepsy in children, do not use it without authorization, so as not to cause serious adverse reactions or complications.
Life management
Life should be regular, avoiding excessive stress, exertion, staying up late, etc.
Winter is a high incidence season for epilepsy, and cold air stimulation can easily trigger epilepsy, so epilepsy patients should pay attention to keeping warm.
Exercise management
Maintain adequate sleep.
Epileptic patients should not do dangerous sports, such as swimming, mountaineering, parachuting, skiing and diving. Try to avoid occupations such as working at heights and driving.
In order to avoid patients from developing bad emotions such as self-isolation, anxiety and depression, they can do appropriate activities such as bowling, table tennis, jogging, walking, yoga, etc. with someone accompanying them.
Listening to music, playing the piano, painting, calligraphy, doing handicrafts, meditating, conducting psychological counseling, and attending parties can also stabilize the patient’s mood and cultivate his or her emotions to a certain extent.