Epilepsy in India: How to delay stigma, treatment of 15 million Indians
Despite its prevalence, epilepsy is immersed in stigma and misinformation, major factors delaying diagnosis and treatment in India.
Epilepsy is a neurological disorder characterized by abnormal brain activity that leads to recurrent seizures, affecting more than 15 million people in India.
Despite its prevalence, epilepsy is immersed in stigma and misinformation, major factors delay diagnosis and treatment.
“Epilepsy affects millions of people in India, yet it is misunderstood. We are more than a thousand witnesses every year, and many patients delay the demand for treatment due to fear and wrong information,” Dr. Pooja Anand, Associate Consultant, Neurology, Paras Health, Gurugram said.
Epilepsy occurs when the electrical signs of the brain are misfire, causing a sudden bursting of activity. This disrupts normal brain function, which causes recovery. These can be mild, such as brief confusion, or severe, with body shocks and fainting. It is like a power enhancement in the brain, which affects movement, awareness or senses.
The causes of epilepsy vary widely.
In many cases, the exact cause is unknown. However, the common trigger includes genetic factors, brain injuries, infections, strokes and developmental disorders.
“Genetic factor is the most important reason, where epilepsy inheritance causes epilepsy in families due to inherited gene mutations. However, other causes include head injuries, brain infections such as meningitis, cerebrovascular accidents and structural brain changes,” Dr. Advisory Neurology at Danish Chhapapra, Holi Family Hospital, Mumbai.
In children, epilepsy may occur if they do not get enough oxygen at birth or if their brain does not develop properly before it is born.
In chronic adults, Alzheimer’s disease or metabolic disorder may be recovered from conditions. “Some lifestyle factors such as stress, lack of sleep and alcohol can sometimes trigger seizures, but they are not direct causes of epilepsy,” Dr. Chapra said.
Epileptic
Epilepsy seizures appear in various forms, making the initial diagnosis challenging. Dr. Shivraj Hung, Consultant Neurologist, Jupiter Hospital, Jupiter Hospital, Jupiter Hospital, Punartar said, “A seizure symptoms and symptoms are different, so they may not always be recognized immediately. In some cases, seizures may appear as a specific behavior, which may lead to diagnosis and management.”
Some common seizure symptoms include:
- To shock or blow the movements in one part of the body or throughout the body.
- Suddenly falls or loss of awareness.
- Empty wires or confusion.
- Repetition, abnormal behavior such as wandering or lip-smoking.
- Sensory symptoms such as tingling, numbness, or a odd odor or taste.
Treatment and progress in epilepsy care
With progress in therapy, about 70% of epilepsy cases can be managed effectively with tremendous drugs, the doctors said.
“For those who do not respond to the drug, alternative treatment such as dietary therapy, neuromodulation equipment, and even surgery provide hope for better seizure control and better quality of life,” Dr. Anand said.
Experts said drug-resistant epilepsy-such cases where patients do not respond to anti-standard dazzling drugs-20–30% affecting epilepsy patients.
In such cases, surgery and innovative treatment are proving to be effective. “When the cause of seizures is unknown, deep brain stimulation (DBS) may be necessary. Surgery is also being discovered to remove brain tumors, which triggers seizures,” Dr. Praveen Gupta, Principal Director and Chief of Fortis Hospital, Dr. Praveen Gupta said.
India is progressing in state -of -the -art epilepsy remedies, especially for drug resistant cases. “Now, neuro-robotic remedies for drug-resistant epilepsy provide great hope. This advanced process allows neurosurgeon to transplant the electrode to indicate the seizure origin, stimulates them to confirm the defective brain area before finishing the defective brain. Mukesh Pandey, director and Hod-Neurosurgery, Esserurgery, Acerosaries.
Breaking stigma: needs awareness
Despite medical progress, social stigma is a major challenge. “We need to focus on the main challenges such as stigma, discrimination and social boycott. These factors significantly affect the mental health and well -being of epilepsy patients. In addition, the inability to reach insurance is still another pain point,” Dr. Bhargavi Ramanujam, Senior Advisor, Neurology, PSRI Hospital said.
Increasing awareness about epilepsy and educating the public on its causes, symptoms and remedies can help reduce fear and misconceptions.
“A collective effort, including awareness campaign, community education and better access to advanced treatments, is necessary to strengthen the fight against epilepsy,” Dr. Ramanujam said.
