Introduction
A seizure occurs when the electrical signalling between the neurons inside the brain is hampered due to one or several reasons. It is proven that everyone has some degree of susceptibility to experiencing seizures. The propensity of having a seizure is determined by several factors influencing susceptibility. In most cases, a seizure is triggered by certain factors leading to a provoked seizure.
What Are the Causes of Seizures Disease?
Understanding what can cause seizures is crucial. Depending on an individual's susceptibility and the environmental stimuli involved, a seizure may be categorised as provoked or unprovoked.
The causes of seizure may include the following:
- Seizures can have genetic links, but it's unclear if parents pass a seizure gene. Children might develop genetic changes during growth.
- Brain abnormalities or diseases increase the risk of seizures. Conditions like brain tumours or obstruction in the blood vessels might cause seizures.
- Severe head injury
- Certain bacterial, viral and parasitic infections in the brain can cause seizures. Patients with encephalitis, meningitis and syphilis have greater chances to develop seizures.
- Injuries to the developing brain of an unborn baby due to incidents during pregnancy can result in cerebral palsy, potentially leading to seizures.
Environmental triggers also provoke seizures, such as
- Unbalanced electrolytes/sodium concentration that is associated with conditions like hypernatremia, hypoglycaemia, hyponatremia and hypocalcaemia
- Toxicity due to drugs like sympathomimetics and antidepressants
- Hypoxic/traumatic brain injury
- Sepsis
- Withdrawal syndrome associated with substances like ethanol and benzodiazepines
- Inflammation in brain
- Stroke
- Fever
- Sleep deprivation
- Medications such as some antidepressants, opioids, certain smoking cessation aids and other drugs may have this effect, especially when taken in high doses or in combination with other medications.
Unprovoked seizures can occur in the absence of any abovementioned provocative reasons for seizures. If it occurs recurrently, then it leads to epilepsy.
Conclusion
A seizure usually continues for a few minutes and then subsides on its own, extremely tiring the patient. It is important to identify and abstain from the triggers that can lead to seizures. Several treatment and home care modalities also work well. Most of the medical treatments come at a heavy cost and can be managed by going for a good health insurance policy.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this blog is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please consult your general physician or another certified medical professional for any questions regarding a medical condition. Relying on any information provided in this blog is solely at your own risk, and ICICI Lombard is not responsible for any effects or consequences resulting from the use of the information shared.