EPILEPSY
Managing Epilepsy:
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
EPILEPSY IS THE MOST COMMON NEUROLOGICAL DISORDER CHARACTERISED BY REPEATED SEIZURES, WHICH ORIGINATE IN THE BRAIN. IT IS ESTIMATED THAT 54,000 PEOPLE IN SCOTLAND SUFFER FROM THE CONDITION – THAT’S EQUIVALENT TO 1 IN 97 PEOPLE.1
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n the past, public perception was negative towards epilepsy and this led to fear of the condition – now, epilepsy is better understood and the majority of those misconceptions of the past have gone. Being informed about the condition, knowing and understanding the medical terms and how to handle any problems can signifi cantly help to reduce the impact epilepsy has on a person’s life.
As community pharmacy staff, it is important that we are knowledgeable about epilepsy, and therefore able to assist patients with the management
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of their condition. Epilepsy is a complex condition – specialist pharmacists and doctors undergo signifi cant training in order to help patients manage their epilepsy. This article aims to give a brief overview of the condition, so that pharmacy staff are aware of the common causes, and what can be done in order to assist patients.
WHAT IS EPILEPSY? Epilepsy is a condition that affects the brain and causes repeated seizures. The cells in the brain conduct electrical signals and communicate via chemical messengers; when a seizure
occurs, there are abnormal bursts of cells fi ring off electrical signals, which ultimately result in the body behaving strangely. Seizures vary from person to person, with some people experiencing an odd feeling, with no loss of awareness, others experience a trance like state for a few seconds, and others can loose consciousness and suffer convulsions.2
WHY DOES EPILEPSY HAPPEN? The brain is a delicate mix of nerve cells, electrical impulses, and chemicals called neurotransmitters and as such, any damage to the brain has the potential to disrupt the inner
workings and cause seizures. Epilepsy can commence at any age, but most often begins during childhood. It can occur if the brain tissue has not been correctly formed throughout the various developmental stages, or if it has been damaged or scarred. This can be as a result of an infection or head injury, and is referred to as symptomatic epilepsy. Although some of these problems can cause epilepsy in childhood, symptomatic epilepsy is generally more common in older people – particularly those over 60 years of age. In approximately 7 out of 10 cases, there is no identifi able cause, however there may be a family history suggesting that the condition is inherited - in these cases it is called idiopathic epilepsy.3
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