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Potential causes and symptoms of Epilepsy you must know.

Potential causes and symptoms of Epilepsy you must know.

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What is Epilepsy?

Unprovoked, repeated seizures caused by the neurological disorder are called Epilepsy. A seizure is a sudden spike in aberrant brain electrical activity. When you experience two or more seizures without another obvious explanation, a doctor will diagnose epilepsy.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 50 million people throughout the world have epilepsy, while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 3.5 million individuals in the United States have epilepsy (CDC).

Epilepsy can affect anyone, however it typically starts in young children and elderly people. Men are more likely than women to acquire epilepsy, probably as a result of higher exposure to risk factors such alcohol consumption and head trauma.

There are two primary categories of seizures:

  • universal seizures
  • focused epilepses

Your entire brain is affected by generalised seizures. Only one area of your brain is impacted by focal or partial seizures.

It could be challenging to identify a minor seizure. You might be awake during it, and it might only last a few seconds. Spasms and uncontrollable muscular twitches might result from more severe seizures. They may cause confusion or unconsciousness and last anywhere from a few seconds to many minutes. You might not remember having a seizure afterward.

Epilepsy cannot currently be cured, but it can be controlled with medicine and other methods.

What happens in your brain when you have epilepsy?

All parts of your body can communicate with and receive information from the cells in your brain. A constant electrical impulse that moves from cell to cell is used to transmit these messages.

This periodic electrical impulse pattern is disturbed by epilepsy. Instead, there are electrical activity spikes between cells in one or more regions of your brain, much like an erratic lightning storm. Your awareness (including loss of consciousness), sensations, emotions, and muscle actions are all affected by this electrical disruption.

Types and symptoms of epilepsy

The primary epilepsy symptom is seizures. The symptoms of a seizure vary from person to person and depending on the type.

Focused (partial) seizures

Previously known as a simple partial seizure, a focal aware seizure doesn’t cause unconsciousness. These signs include:

  • Sense of taste, smell, sight, hearing, or touch changes
  • dizziness
  • limb twitching and tingling

Unaware focal seizures (previously called complex partial seizures) involve a loss of consciousness or awareness. Additional signs include:

  • looking vacant
  • unresponsiveness
  • performing frequent motions

Universal seizures

The entire brain is involved in generalised seizures. Subtypes consist of:

  • Absence seizures. “Petit mal seizures” were the previous name for absence seizures. They frequently result in a brief loss of awareness, a blank stare, and occasionally repeated actions like blinking or lip-smacking.
  • Tonic seizures. Sudden stiffness in your legs, arms, or trunk muscles is a symptom of tonic seizures.
  • Atonic seizures. Muscle control is lost as a result of atonic seizures. Because a sudden loss of muscle power can cause you to fall quickly, they are also known as “drop seizures.”
  • Clonic seizures. Repeated, jerky muscular movements of the face, neck, and arms are hallmarks of clonic seizures.
  • Myoclonic seizures. Arms and legs twitch quickly and spontaneously as a result of myoclonic seizures. These seizures can occasionally group together.
  • Seizures with tonic-clonic. Grand mal seizures are another name for tonic-clonic seizures. These signs include:
    • rigidification of the body
    • shaking
    • a lack of bowel or bladder control
    • gnawing at one’s tongue
    • consciousness is lost

You might not remember having a seizure afterward or you might have mild nausea for sometime.

What causes epilepsy?

According to the WHO, the cause of epilepsy cannot be identified in roughly 50% of cases. Seizures can be brought on by a number of circumstances, including:

  • Traumatic head injury or another type of head injury
  • following a brain injury, brain scarring (post-traumatic epilepsy)
  • severe ailment or extremely high fever

According to the CDC, stroke accounts for roughly half of older people’ instances of epilepsy with no known aetiology.

  • oxygen deprivation in the brain
  • brain cyst or tumour
  • incorporating Alzheimer’s illness, dementia
  • a mother’s use of certain medicines, an accident during pregnancy, a brain abnormality, or a newborn’s lack of oxygen
  • Infectious diseases such as HIV, AIDS, and meningitis
  • genetic, developmental, or neurological conditions

Although epilepsy can manifest at any age, it is typically diagnosed in the first few years of life or after the age of 60.

What are seizure triggers?

Some people can pinpoint the events or circumstances that cause their seizures. The following are a handful of the known triggers that are most frequently used:

  • absence of sleep
  • a fever or sickness
  • stress
  • flashing or patterned lights, or both
  • Caffeine, alcohol, or alcohol withdrawal, narcotics, or prescription medications
  • skipping meals, overindulging, or certain dietary components
  • really low blood sugar
  • a brain injury

Finding triggers is not always simple. It’s not necessarily true that a single occurrence qualifies as a trigger. Frequently, a seizure is brought on by a number of circumstances. Keeping a seizure notebook can help you identify your triggers. Keep the following in mind following each seizure:

  • time and day
  • which activity you engaged in
  • what was going on in the area
  • strange sounds, scents, or sights
  • unexpected stressors
  • how much you ate or how long it
  • Depending on what you were eating or how recently you had last eaten
  • the degree of your exhaustion and the quality of your sleep the night before

Your seizure notebook can also be used to check on the effectiveness of your medication. Take note of any adverse effects and how you felt right before and right after your seizure.

When you visit the doctor, bring the journal with you. If changing your prescription dosage or looking into alternative treatments is or becomes required, it might be helpful for your doctor to know.

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What are the possible side effects of using Serpentina?

What are the possible side effects of using Serpentina?

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A member of the milkweed family, rauwolfia (Rauwolfia serpentina), often spelled ravolphia, is a useful shrub. Its root is either marketed as pills or capsules, or it is ground into a powder and packaged in this way. It is a substance that is frequently utilised in Asian medicine, particularly the traditional Ayurvedic treatment that originated in India.

About 50 alkaloids, which are its active constituents, have been identified; however, reserpine, rescinnamine, and deserpidine seem to produce the strongest psychedelic effects. Indian snakeroot should not be confused with Yohimbe or Rauvolfia vomitoria. They are not equivalent.

Uses

Indian snakeroot is used to treat mental illnesses such agitated psychosis and insanity, as well as mild high blood pressure, anxiety, and sleeplessness. It is also used as a tonic for general debilities and for snake and reptile bites, fever, constipation, feverish intestinal problems, liver disorders, achy joints (rheumatism), fluid retention (edoema), and epilepsy.

Indian snakeroot has a substance that is similar to the prescription medication reserpine. Reserpine is used to treat schizophrenia, mild to severe hypertension, and a few signs of impaired circulation.

  • Difficulty sleeping (insomnia). Early research suggests that Indian snakeroot, when taken with two additional plants, may be able to treat insomnia.
  • Nervousness.
  • illnesses of the mind like schizophrenia.
  • Constipation.
  • Fever.
  • liver issues.
  • painful joints
  • due to inadequate circulation, leg spasms.
  • mildly elevated blood pressure
  • other circumstances

Side effects

When a standardised extract is administered under the guidance of a medical expert with experience using it, Indian snakeroot is POSSIBLY SAFE. Standardized Indian snakeroot has a predetermined dosage of medication. Indian snakeroot has a range of compounds, including reserpine, depending on the plant.

Indian snakeroot contains reserpine and other potentially hazardous compounds; therefore, a skilled healthcare expert must accurately calculate the dosage and monitor any side effects. Nasal congestion, stomach cramps, diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, drowsiness, seizures, Parkinson’s-like symptoms, and coma are just a few of the side effects that can range in severity from mild to serious. When driving or operating heavy machinery, Indian snakeroot should not be taken because it can impair reaction time.

SPECIAL PRECAUTIONS & WARNINGS

Pregnancy and breast-feeding: Indian snakeroot is NOT SAFE to take during pregnancy or when nursing a baby. Indian snakeroot has compounds that could lead to birth abnormalities. Additionally, it is NOT SAFE to utilise this Indian snakeroot when nursing. It contains toxins that can enter breast milk and damage a nursing infant.

Shock therapy (electroconvulsive therapy, ECT): Indian snakeroot should not be administered by patients undergoing electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), also known as shock therapy. Indian snakeroot should be stopped at least a week before starting ECT.

Gall stones: Indian snakeroot may exacerbate gallstones and gallbladder disorders.

Stomach ulcers, intestinal ulcers, or ulcerative colitis: If you have ever experienced stomach, intestinal, or ulcerative colitis, you should not use Indian snakeroot.

Allergic reaction to reserpine or other drugs classified as rauwolfia alkaloids: If you have an allergy to any of these medications, avoid taking Indian snakeroot.

Depression: If you have depression or suicidal thoughts, avoid using Indian snakeroot.

Pheochromocytoma: An adrenal gland tumour that raises blood pressure to hazardous levels: In this case, stay away from Indian snakeroot.

Surgery: Indian snakeroot may hasten the central nervous system during surgery. There is a worry that it can make surgery more difficult by raising blood pressure and heart rate. Before any scheduled surgery, stop using Indian snakeroot at least two weeks in advance.

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What is meant by erectile dysfunction nerve damage?

What is meant by erectile dysfunction nerve damage?

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About 30 million men in the United States alone suffer from erectile dysfunction (ED), a frequent type of sexual dysfunction. If you struggle to get or keep an erection strong enough for sex, you may have erectile dysfunction.

Another possibility is that you can have an erection, but not frequently enough to engage in sexual activity when you want to. ED can be brought on by a number of things, including cardiovascular problems and psychological conditions including sexual performance anxiety.

Sometimes, issues with your neurological system can have an impact on how you behave sexually and either induce or exacerbate erectile dysfunction. The term “neurogenic” or “neurological ED” is used to describe this kind of erectile dysfunction.

Neurological ED

Any form of erectile dysfunction brought on by a neural system disorder is referred to as neurological erectile dysfunction, or neurological ED. The development and maintenance of an erection both before and during sex are significantly influenced by your neurological system.

Arousal and stimulation are the precursors to erections. The erectile tissue inside your penis receives impulses from neurons in your brain and pelvic region when you become aroused by physical contact or sexual imagery.

Due to the expansion of the blood vessels that supply your erectile tissue as a result of these impulses, more blood is pumped into your penis. The size and strength of an erection are a result of this blood.

The tunica albuginea, a fibrous membrane, contracts as blood continues to flow into your penis, trapping the blood inside the tissue and maintaining your erection, enabling you to engage in sex. Several factors influence this process such as:

This process may be disrupted when your nervous system is compromised, making it impossible for you to achieve and/or maintain an erection.

Causes of Neurological ED

There are a number of disorders that can lead to neurological erectile dysfunction, including neurological conditions that harm the nerves in specific areas of your body and injuries or surgeries that cause damage to your nervous system.

Typical neurological ED causes include:

Injuries to the neurological system

Sexual problems including erectile dysfunction and anejaculation are frequently brought on by injuries to the neurological system, such as spinal cord injuries (inability to ejaculate). These problems are frequently transient. For instance, after two years, the majority of men with spinal cord injuries resume some penile function, according to study.

Surgery on the bladder or prostate

The nerves and blood vessels surrounding the penis can be harmed during several surgical treatments for prostate or bladder cancer, which could result in erectile dysfunction. Many men discover that as they heal from this kind of surgery, their erection quality and sexual function gradually improve.

Diabetic nerve injury (nerve damage due to diabetes)

Diabetes, especially when it’s uncontrolled or inconsistently treated, can result in diabetic neuropathy, a type of nerve damage. Strong erectile dysfunction and poorly controlled diabetes have been linked in research. In fact, erectile dysfunction brought on by neuropathy affects 40 to 50 percent of men with diabetes.

A number of sclerosis

The central nervous system is harmed by multiple sclerosis (MS), which finally results in irreversible nerve loss. Erectile dysfunction may eventually result from this nerve injury. In some circumstances, drugs intended to treat MS symptoms may also cause ED.

Parkinson’s condition

Parkinson’s disease is an illness of the nervous system that worsens over time, and one of its symptoms is impotence. Other sexual difficulties, such as diminished sexual arousal and trouble initiating orgasm, are frequently experienced by men with Parkinson’s disease.

Epilepsy

Some epileptic males experience erectile dysfunction. The levels of sex hormones like testosterone and prolactin, which are involved in sex drive and erections, may be affected by epileptic discharges as the source of this, according to experts.

Additional neurological reasons

Heavy metal toxicity and alcoholism are two more potential reasons of neurological ED, both of which can have an impact on the nerve tissue throughout your body. if you are afflicted, more than one component may be involved in the development of your neurological ED symptoms.

Symptoms of Neurological ED

Neurological erectile dysfunction, like ED brought on by poor cardiovascular health or psychological problems, can vary in severity. Those who experience neurological erectile dysfunction may:

  • having trouble getting an erection at any time or finding it impossible
  • being able to erect yet having trouble keeping it up long enough to engage in sex
  • possess the ability to erection but not frequently enough to engage in sex when you want to

Similar signs and symptoms to cardiovascular ED can be found in neurological ED.

Treatment for Neurological Erectile dysfunction

Damage to your neural system, whether through an accident, surgery, a disease that impairs nerve function, frequently results in ED. While certain neurological ED types go better with time, others need constant care and management.

Neurological ED can be treated with a variety of ED medications, gadgets, and surgical techniques. Many men discover that they can actually result in noticeable increases in their erections and sexual performance. Although they aren’t successful for everyone.

These medicines need to be discussed with a qualified healthcare provider online. They will decide whether or not a prescription is necessary.

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