Epilepsy, a much-misunderstood disease
March 26 is marked as the day for busting myths about epilepsy, a much-misunderstood disease
Ever since Lance Armstrong went global with his fight against cancer and gave the disease a yellow elastic wristband to symbolise with, all other diseases worth their germs have a colour associated with the fight against them.
Epilepsy has been vested with the colour purple in order to educate and create awareness about the much-misunderstood disease. Mumbai-based neurologist Dr Janak Nathan has been handed the reins for the job. Purple day, as it's called, will be organised on March 26th, when the doctor and his team of volunteers will take to Mumbai's streets, talking and educating people about the disease.
Started in 2008 by nine-year-old Cassidy Megan in Nova Scotia, Canada, who also suffered from the disease, Purple day is the Epilepsy Association's effort to take this fight global. "The colour purple is associated with isolation and solitude. Due to myths and superstitions associated with the disease, many patients are isolated from society. The day will help in making people aware about the disease," says Nathan.
What is epilepsy?
This neurological disorder is commonly caused due to a birth defect such as lack of oxygen available to the baby during delivery. In older people, epilepsy can be caused due to an injury to the brain, brain abscess or infections. A chronic liver patient or kidney patient can also develop epilepsy. Also known as seizure disorder, epilepsy causes fits or convulsions due to disruption in the functioning of the brain. In some cases, the cause of the disease cannot be identified.
Spot it right
According to Nathan, parents should keep an eye on their children for slight jerks, blinking eyes, shaking hands, feet, a twitching face or any such signs of irregular movement. Very often the parents fail to pick up such symptoms until they get worse. "If the parents watch their children closely, such symptom! s can be picked up very easily," says Nathan. Early diagnosis is always better, since the disease gets aggravated due to lack of proper sleep and skipping medications, which the care takers of patients should avoid.
The treatment
Experts say that the disease can be controlled by medication in 70 per cent of the patients. Earlier, a patient had to be injected with the medication during a seizure. However, now an easy nasal spray stops the seizures within few seconds. The dosage of the nasal spray depends of the age of the patient.
Very rarely are patients advised to undergo surgery to curb epilepsy. It involves removing the abnormal brain cells that cause convulsions.
In about 30 per cent patients, the disease can be controlled with the help of a ketogenic diet a diet rich in fats and low in carbohydrates. "The body is then forced to burn the fat and produce ketone bodies which are anti-epileptic in nature," says Nathan. He has treated more than 250 patients with the ketogenic diet.
Myths and superstitions
The disease is associated with various beliefs like possession by evil spirits or demons. Very often these patients turn into social outcastes. Practices like putting onions, footwear and other hard objects in the mouth of the patients during an aggressive convulsion are very common, even in urban India. In parts of Kutch, villagers have adopted a discriminating practice of branding the patient by forcing a permanent mark on his/her forehead.
Preventing the disease
Epilepsy can be best prevented by proper pre-natal care. Expectant mothers should eat healthy, avoid smoking and consuming alcohol during pregnancy and while breast feeding the child. Preventing head injuries also helps. While experts say it's difficult to prevent epilepsy, since in most cases the causes are unknown, basic care should be taken as a precaution.
Ever since Lance Armstrong went global with his fight against cancer and gave the disease a yellow elastic wristband to symbolise with, all other diseases worth their germs have a colour associated with the fight against them.
Epilepsy has been vested with the colour purple in order to educate and create awareness about the much-misunderstood disease. Mumbai-based neurologist Dr Janak Nathan has been handed the reins for the job. Purple day, as it's called, will be organised on March 26th, when the doctor and his team of volunteers will take to Mumbai's streets, talking and educating people about the disease.
Started in 2008 by nine-year-old Cassidy Megan in Nova Scotia, Canada, who also suffered from the disease, Purple day is the Epilepsy Association's effort to take this fight global. "The colour purple is associated with isolation and solitude. Due to myths and superstitions associated with the disease, many patients are isolated from society. The day will help in making people aware about the disease," says Nathan.
What is epilepsy?
This neurological disorder is commonly caused due to a birth defect such as lack of oxygen available to the baby during delivery. In older people, epilepsy can be caused due to an injury to the brain, brain abscess or infections. A chronic liver patient or kidney patient can also develop epilepsy. Also known as seizure disorder, epilepsy causes fits or convulsions due to disruption in the functioning of the brain. In some cases, the cause of the disease cannot be identified.
Spot it right
According to Nathan, parents should keep an eye on their children for slight jerks, blinking eyes, shaking hands, feet, a twitching face or any such signs of irregular movement. Very often the parents fail to pick up such symptoms until they get worse. "If the parents watch their children closely, such symptom! s can be picked up very easily," says Nathan. Early diagnosis is always better, since the disease gets aggravated due to lack of proper sleep and skipping medications, which the care takers of patients should avoid.
The treatment
Experts say that the disease can be controlled by medication in 70 per cent of the patients. Earlier, a patient had to be injected with the medication during a seizure. However, now an easy nasal spray stops the seizures within few seconds. The dosage of the nasal spray depends of the age of the patient.
Very rarely are patients advised to undergo surgery to curb epilepsy. It involves removing the abnormal brain cells that cause convulsions.
In about 30 per cent patients, the disease can be controlled with the help of a ketogenic diet a diet rich in fats and low in carbohydrates. "The body is then forced to burn the fat and produce ketone bodies which are anti-epileptic in nature," says Nathan. He has treated more than 250 patients with the ketogenic diet.
Myths and superstitions
The disease is associated with various beliefs like possession by evil spirits or demons. Very often these patients turn into social outcastes. Practices like putting onions, footwear and other hard objects in the mouth of the patients during an aggressive convulsion are very common, even in urban India. In parts of Kutch, villagers have adopted a discriminating practice of branding the patient by forcing a permanent mark on his/her forehead.
Preventing the disease
Epilepsy can be best prevented by proper pre-natal care. Expectant mothers should eat healthy, avoid smoking and consuming alcohol during pregnancy and while breast feeding the child. Preventing head injuries also helps. While experts say it's difficult to prevent epilepsy, since in most cases the causes are unknown, basic care should be taken as a precaution.
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