Week-long observance hopes to shed light on epilepsy
By Charles E. Buban
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 22:46:00 08/29/2008
MANILA, Philippines—Epilepsy was a mystery then and remains an enigmatic condition that even the World Health Organization is doubtful if there is any other medical condition so universally neglected, due to the combination of social stigma, low profile and lack of resources.
The National Epilepsy Awareness Week—which will be celebrated from Sept. 1 to 7—seeks to change this by raising awareness of epilepsy throughout the country.
An estimated 750,000 Filipinos have epilepsy and sadly, many people around them still believe that what they have is a psychiatric disorder or mental retardation. Worse, a number of them even believe epilepsy is supernatural, caused by possession.
Far more common
“While this neurological condition affects up to 1 to 2 percent of the population, epilepsy and epileptic seizures are far more common than people realize,” said Dr. Gerardo Legaspi, associate professor at the University of the Philippines College of Medicine.
He explained that we are all at risk of developing epilepsy because seizures can occur without any obvious cause.
Although it is more likely to be diagnosed in childhood or senior years, it is not confined to any age group, sex, or race and can be diagnosed at any age.
Overactivity
“Epileptic seizure can be generally explained as an overactivity in the brain, often, though not always, the result of an injury. But one should remember that epilepsy is a chronic condition, meaning, these brain disturbances should be persistent,” the doctor explained.
Legaspi said early diagnosis and treatment are vital, because epileptic seizures should be stopped before the patient suffers irreversible damage. Brain cells that die during a bout can-not grow back and the functions that are controlled by that brain area may be permanently lost.
Evidence suggests that these seizures do have a negative effect and possibly result in loss of specific brain cells. However, the evidence also indicates that this is not true for all forms of epilepsy.
“This is why a doctor’s treatment objectives should be no seizures, no side effects and the earliest possible intervention,” he said.
Legaspi recalled one of his patients, 48-year-old William Abbott, who experienced his first bout of epileptic seizure only two years ago.
“He did not lose consciousness or had convulsions (muscles relax and tighten rhythmically) like the others. Instead, his bout could be characterized as sudden and short-lived, lasting a matter of seconds or minutes and consisting mainly of twitching of the eyelids, lips and neck (doctors call this simple partial seizures). Later, he was diagnosed with a brain tumor,” Legaspi said.
Maintenance therapy
After Legaspi successfully removed a significant portion of the tumor, Abbott was required to take maintenance therapy with the innovative drug, oxcarbazepine (Trileptal), an anti-seizure medication.
“I could attest that the maintenance therapy is working. I now have fewer bouts. And if I don’t have seizure for two years, Legaspi said I might be able to stop taking the medication,” Abbott said.
Up to 70 percent of people with epilepsy ultimately become seizure-free with treatment, and many of these individuals can later stop taking medications.
Indeed, one of the most appalling misperceptions about epilepsy is that it can’t be effectively treated.
Drugs that could control
“Yes, there are medications that can often control epileptic seizures. Failing to realize this could only lead to treatment delays that can result in preventable, irreversible disability,” the doctor warned.
This is why Legaspi believes it is therefore valuable for people with epilepsy, their family, friends and their caregivers to understand the many aspects of this disorder to improve their chances in obtaining seizure control.
“To achieve good control of epilepsy, there must be close rapport between doctor and patient and their family so that the doctor could ‘tailor’ anticonvulsant drugs to the patient’s needs. Communication channels must be open for advice and exchange of ideas,” he said.
He added that for most people, epilepsy is a manageable disorder with a good prognosis.
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