Valentine’s Day is celebrated on February 14 every year and it has gained popularity in the past years across the globe. But this year, February 14 also has another significance. This year, it is also the International Epilepsy Day. Since this year, it falls along with the much-celebrated Valentine’s Day, the theme is “’love someone with epilepsy’ signifying that you should give the same love to epilepsy patients as you give to others,” says Dr Atma Ram Bansal, associate director, Epilepsy Programme, Institute of Neurosciences, Medanta Hospital.
Elaborating on epilepsy, Dr Bansal says, “Epilepsy is a brain disease where the brain circuits have abnormal firing. This results in multiple symptoms of seizures, convulsions. It is caused by multiple reasons depending on the age of the person. In new born it can be due to a birth defect or an oxygen problem during delivery. In slightly elder age group, it can be because of head injury or infection and at times it might be also due to a brain tumor.”
Ask him if people are born with epileptic conditions or does it develop after a certain age, and he says, “By birth it is in just five to ten percent. [It is usually found in age] 5 to 15 and then post 70 to 80. This is the age group during which epilepsy can develop.” Speaking about the major treatments involved while treating an epilepsy patient, he says, “Medications help in 70 to 80 percent and those who can’t manage through medication, surgery is done. Surgery is done in a very special type of epilepsy where we need to find the root cause and which involves investigations like special video EG, special MRI, and various other tests and then we find the reasons for epilepsy and that particular point is removed.”
Episodes of confusion, unresponsive for one or two minutes are what Dr Bansal says are the early signs or symptoms to identify epilepsy in a person. Talking about the cure, he shares, “[Epilepsy] can be easily treated. 75 percent [patients] have very good response to the medications. And the rest can be treated with surgery.”
In terms of challenges faced by epileptic patients on a daily basis, Dr Bansal says, “[Major] challenge which patients face [is the] stigma associated with epilepsy. This is why patients don’t disclose it. Besides, driving licenses are not given, marriage is not easy and jobs are not provided, too.”
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