Causes
Here the reason for epilepsy is divided into three categories. There is idiopathic epilepsy, which describes a congenital, i.e. genetic, cause. For example, a mutation in an ion channel in the brain can lower the seizure threshold.
There is also symptomatic epilepsy, in which structural and/or metabolic reasons can explain the epilepsy. These include: Cryptogenic epilepsy, in which a symptomatic seizure disorder exists without evidence of the underlying disease. In addition, there are factors that trigger epilepsy, which, if there is a tendency to seizure, favour a concrete epileptic seizure.
These include:
- Injuries or malformations of the brain tissue
- Metastases
- Brain Tumors
- Electrolyte derailments
- Hypoglycaemia or over-sugar
- Craniocerebral Trauma
- Infections (meningococcus, measles, hepatitis C, TBE virus, etc. )
- Metabolic diseases
- Vascular malformations
- Drugs
- Fever (fever cramps in children)
- Sleep deprivation
- Alcohol
- Medicines like theophylline, tricyclic antidepressants, penicillins (antibiotics)
- Flickering light
- Psychological factors.
To what extent stress increases the probability of the occurrence of an epileptic seizure has not yet been fully clarified. What is certain, however, is that the relevance of this factor varies from person to person.Some people say that stress is the most important triggering factor for them and that they only have seizures during stressful situations.
This was observed especially in patients whose epileptic focus is in the area of the temporal lobe. Other studies, however, have shown that stress, to the right extent, can have a positive effect on the course of the disease and reduce the risk of having a seizure. Most epileptics learn to assess the extent to which stress is a triggering factor for them or not.
It has now been proven that drugs can be a trigger for an epileptic seizure. This applies not only to people who already suffer from epilepsy, but also to healthy people for whom such a seizure is then called an occasional seizure. However, it is not only the use of drugs alone that can lead to a seizure, but also withdrawal from them.
Amphetamine (speed) in particular is associated with a greatly increased risk of seizures. Consequently, people suffering from epilepsy are advised even more vehemently against the use of drugs. If an addiction to drugs already existed before the diagnosis of epilepsy, a consultation with a neurologist on this subject should be sought in any case in order to discuss the further procedure.
