Today (28 June) is International Epilepsy Care Day. At the second "Beijing International Epilepsy Forum" in October 2006, the Chinese Anti-Epilepsy Association launched the initiative of establishing "International Epilepsy Care Day", which received enthusiastic responses from representatives from more than 20 countries. Participants chose 28 June as the International Epilepsy Care Day, the date on which the Global Campaign against Epilepsy was adopted at the International Epilepsy Congress held in Dublin, Ireland, in 1997.
There are about 400,000 to 600,000 newly diagnosed epilepsy patients in mainland China every year
Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological diseases, with about 400,000 to 600,000 people diagnosed with epilepsy each year in mainland China.
Seizures are caused by abnormal firing of neurons in the brain and are characterized by recurrent and transient nature. Epilepsy can occur in people of all ages, but is common in children and older patients.
Zhao Guoguang, president of Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University: The most typical people say that it is called sheep's horn wind, which shows the convulsions of the limbs of the whole body, foaming at the mouth, turning up the eyes, accompanied by a blue face, and the call cannot respond, so this situation prompts us whether this patient has the possibility of epilepsy.
When a patient has a seizure, the people around him must first protect the patient and prevent them from accidental injury.
Jiang Yuwu, director of pediatrics at Peking University First Hospital: For example, if he falls to the ground, then we have to put him in a safe place, there can be nothing else around him, in addition, let him lie on his side, and then untie the collar, if there are glasses, take the glasses off, let him keep breathing smooth, in fact, most epilepsy can recover on its own, within 5 minutes, but there are a small number of patients, his seizures will last for a long time, then some first-aid drugs should be used at this time, Reduces or even discontinues the likelihood of prolonged seizures.
Patients with epilepsy should maintain adequate sleep and try to avoid occupations such as aerial work, underground work, and driving.
70% of people with epilepsy do not have seizures after standard treatment
In which cases should a person with epilepsy be brought to hospital immediately after the onset of the disease?
There are many types of seizures, and people can usually present electively after the seizures. However, if the patient has: the seizures last more than 5 minutes; After the seizure stops, the patient's breathing and consciousness do not return to normal; One seizure is followed by a second; fever or febrile seizures; Pregnant; Have diabetes; Injuries during seizures.
Zhao Guoguang, president of Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University: Our country currently counts nearly 10 million epilepsy patients, of which 70% of patients can achieve seizure-free after standardized drug treatment, but there are also 30% of drug-refractory epilepsy, so such patients have to find whether there are foci in the brain that cause epilepsy, then once these lesions are found, we can now also through radio frequency damage, laser ablation, and then neuromodulation. This allows this type of patient to have fewer or no seizures.
More than 20% of people with epilepsy have a genetic component
Studies have found that epilepsy has a certain genetic predisposition, there are about 1,000 genes associated with epilepsy, and more than 20% of patients with seizures have genetic factors.
The causes of epilepsy include: abnormal lesions in the cerebral cortex, brain tumors, head trauma, central nervous system infections, cerebrovascular diseases, parasitic infections, genetic metabolic diseases, etc. Studies have found that certain genes are associated with epilepsy, and if the parents have epilepsy and have a family history of epilepsy, the risk of epilepsy in the next generation is 2%~5%.
Zhao Guoguang, president of Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University: For example, you say such a spasmodic syndrome in infants, myoclonic syndrome in adolescents, or familial temporal lobe epilepsy with hippocampal sclerosis, these may be related to genes, then with our accurate detection can be detected early, we can also get a good treatment in this regard.
Experts remind that epilepsy patients should be cured of epilepsy and then have offspring, which can effectively reduce the probability of hereditary epilepsy in offspring. If a parent's epilepsy is not related to genetic factors, such as epilepsy caused by stroke or traumatic brain injury, it will not affect the next generation. Some types of epilepsy occur in children and resolve spontaneously as adults.
Source: CCTV News