Epilepsy in children can be cured, as long as the parents are always there

Epilepsy is quite common in children, especially if your little one has problems with the brain and nerves. What is epilepsy like? What are the signs and can epilepsy in children be cured? The following is a complete explanation of epilepsy in your little one. Starting from the cause to the drug and treatment.

What is epilepsy in children?

Quoting from the official website of the Indonesian Pediatrician Association (IDAI) epilepsy or epileptic seizures are seizures that occur two or more times without a clear cause.

This condition can occur due to problems with the brain and nervous system that are often experienced by children.

The thing to note is that when a child has a seizure in epilepsy, it does not have to be foamy. However, a seizure can include:

The whole body is stiff
Spasms in part of the arm or lower leg
Twitch of one eye and part of the face
Momentary loss of consciousness (child looks dazed or daydreaming)
Hands or feet suddenly jerk
The child suddenly fell as if he had lost his strength

Seizures in epilepsy can just happen, even when the child is playing. Then after the seizure, the child can do their usual activities.

What are the symptoms of epilepsy in children?

Quoting from John Hopkins Medicine, some common signs of epilepsy are:

Nod in a neat rhythm
Blinking really fast
Does not respond to loud sounds
The child's lips are blue
Abnormal breathing

Sometimes the symptoms of seizures are similar to those of other health conditions. Immediately contact the doctor if the child experiences the above.

What causes epilepsy in children?

Quoting from Healthy Children, seizures in epilepsy are triggered by changes in electrical and chemical activity in the brain.

Seizures can be caused by anything that injures the brain, such as:

Head injury
Infection
Poisoning
Brain development problems before the baby is born

However, the causes of epilepsy and seizures are often difficult to find.

There are several types of seizures in epilepsy that your little one often experiences. Some are as short as they last a few seconds. But there are also some that take a little longer to a matter of minutes.

Epilepsy also occurs differently for each child, this depends on:

Age
Types of damage to parts of the brain
Have other health problems
The child's response when doing treatment

Basically, the epilepsy that a child experiences depends on which part of the brain is involved.

How is epilepsy treated in children?

Treatment for epilepsy usually begins with drugs to prevent seizures, or antiepileptic drugs.

The correct dose will be maintained for up to two years of seizure-free. The dosage will also be adjusted if the child's weight gain occurs.

If one type of drug with the maximum dose cannot control the child's seizures, the doctor will add a second antiepileptic drug. Or swap with a different type of drug.

Epilepsy treatment tips in children

Epilepsy treatment in children is certainly not an easy thing. Parents need to pay attention to things to make epilepsy treatment run smoothly and their little one will recover quickly.

Pay attention to the medication schedule

If the medicine must be taken twice a day, it means that the distance to take the drug is 12 hours. Likewise, if the dose of the drug is three times a day, then the distance to drink is 8 hours. Stopping taking the drug will suddenly result in a seizure.

If you forget to give medicine, give it as soon as possible when you remember. Ask your doctor what to do if your child forgets to take a dose of medicine.

Recognize seizure triggers

It is important to know and recognize seizure triggers in your child so that seizure attacks can be avoided.

Some of the most common seizure triggers include:

Forgot to take medicine
Lack of sleep
Being late or forgetting to eat
Physical and emotional stress
Pain or fever
Low doses of antiepileptic drugs in the blood

Flickering light produced by computers, televisions, cell phones can also trigger epilepsy in children.

Tell me about other medicines that the child is taking

Tell your doctor about other drugs your child is currently taking, including vitamins. This is to find out whether the drug affects the work of antiepileptic drugs.

Given that some drugs such as decongestants, astosal and herbal medicines can interact with antiepileptic drugs.

Avoid changing drugs carelessly

It is not recommended to change drugs without a doctor's approval. For example, you can switch a brand name drug to a generic drug without consulting a pediatrician.

This is not recommended because differences in drug processing can affect the metabolism of antiepileptic drugs in the child's body.

Pay attention to drug consumption

Parents need to pay attention to the storage area for antiepileptic drugs so that the little one doesn't forget to drink it.

If the child is young and often plays with things, keep antiepileptic drugs in a place that is difficult for your little one to reach.

For older children, set an alarm that reminds you to take medication that is equipped with a medicine box.

While at school, tell the teacher about your child's condition and remind him to take medicine.

Meanwhile, if you and your little one are staying overnight outside the house, divide antiepileptic drugs into several doses for daily use to make it easier,

Provide backup medication for two weeks, avoiding sudden drug shortages.

What if the medicine can't relieve epilepsy in children?

There are several conditions that make children still have seizures even after taking epilepsy drugs. If your child's seizures cannot be controlled with drugs, the doctor will discuss other options, as quoted from Epilepsy:

Brain surgery

This procedure is performed by a specialist pediatric surgeon. Before performing brain surgery procedures to treat epilepsy in children, the doctor will assess your baby's condition as a whole.

If surgery can reduce epilepsy or stop seizures without other problems, this procedure may be an option.

Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS) Therapy

If drugs and surgery cannot stop epilepsy in children, VNS therapy can be done. This therapy uses a small electrical device, such as a pacemaker, which is stored under the skin of the child's chest.

This device sends electrical signals to the brain via a nerve in your child's neck called the vagus nerve. This therapy aims to reduce the number of seizures that children experience so that they are not too severe.

Children can also do diet therapy namely ketogenic diet, modified Atkins diet, low glycemic index maintenance.