What is a Seizure?

A seizure is a sudden rush of electrical activity in the brain. Epilepsy is the most common cause of seizures. Epilepsy is a chronic ailment that induces unprovoked, recurrent seizures. They are one of the common neurological disorders amongst the elderly. Sudden onset of seizures in old age is generally a cause of past medical history. There is no particular seizure onset age or seizure onset time, but the risk increases as one gets older, particularly after entering your fifties. Seizures are typically divided into three major categories:

1.focal onset

2.generalized onset

3.unknown onset

The whole-brain gets affected by generalized seizures, while just one part of the brain is affected by partial seizures.

The most common seizure onset causes in old age are
  • Dementia
  • stroke
  • brain tumors
  • Brain diseases like Alzheimer’s
  • Trauma
  • Head Injuries
  • anxiety and depression

Almost 50 percent of seizures in old-person are because of unknown causes. Seizures in old age can often go undiagnosed because one links them with problems related to aging, but on the contrary, it may be due to the sudden onset of seizures in old age.

However, here are some symptoms or early signs that will help you take early seizure precautions.

  • Memory problems, dizziness, or sensory changes like numbness.
  • Seems confused.
  • Stare into space.
  • Unusual movements are common.
  • Does Not have the ability to answer questions.
  • Falling, shaking.
  • Autism
  • execute behaviors that can cause possible vulnerability to themselves, like stepping in front of moving cars or removing all or portions of their clothing
  • hallucinate
  • try to hurt themselves

Apart from the above-mentioned, there are so many symptoms that indicate the onset of seizures. Signs should never be taken lightly, especially when you spot them for the first time, the patient is diabetic, unconscious, is repetitive, or stays longer than a few minutes. If you see any such symptoms, you should immediately talk to a neurologist. Early diagnosis can save you a lot of trouble. Now, with the fast pacing world, you can have more frequent appointments and follow-ups with an online neuro doctor.

Seizure Treatment

The most frequent type of seizure is complex partial seizure (CPS) without secondary generalization (47.1%), and temporal lobe epilepsy is the most commonly diagnosed epileptic disorder. A seizure may be familiar, but up to date, its treatment remains one of the most challenging. The reason behind this is that seizure medications have side effects. It can worsen the problems for the elderly like weak bones, dizziness, etc. There are three primary treatment issues of epilepsy in the elderly: pharmacokinetic parameters change, polytherapy (including non-antiepileptic and antiepileptic drugs), and susceptibility to adverse drug effects. Other treatments include-

  • tiagabine hydrochloride (Gabitril)
  • stimulation of the vagus nerve
  • responsive neurostimulation
  • surgery
  • dietary changes

Dr. Chandril Chugh, as online neuro doctor is one of the top neurologists in Gwalior, a top neurologist in Jaipur, the best neurologist in Faridabad, a top neuro physician in Patna, and a well-known mind doctor in Delhi. Now you can sway off all your neurological worries online by booking an online neurologist consultation with a brain specialist doctor in Faridabad who is also a top neurologist in Jaipur and one of the best mind doctors in Delhi.

  • Dementia
  • stroke
  • brain tumors
  • Brain diseases like Alzheimer’s
  • Trauma
  • Head Injuries
  • anxiety and depression

Almost 50 percent of seizures in old-person are because of unknown causes. Seizures in old age can often go undiagnosed because one links them with problems related to aging, but on the contrary, it may be due to the sudden onset of seizures in old age.

However, here are some symptoms or early signs that will help you take early seizure precautions.

  • Memory problems, dizziness, or sensory changes like numbness.
  • Seems confused.
  • Stare into space.
  • Unusual movements are common.
  • Does Not have the ability to answer questions.
  • Falling, shaking.
  • Autism
  • execute behaviors that can cause possible vulnerability to themselves, like stepping in front of moving cars or removing all or portions of their clothing
  • hallucinate
  • try to hurt themselves

Apart from the above-mentioned, there are so many symptoms that indicate the onset of seizures. Signs should never be taken lightly, especially when you spot them for the first time, the patient is diabetic, unconscious, is repetitive, or stays longer than a few minutes. If you see any such symptoms, you should immediately talk to a neurologist. Early diagnosis can save you a lot of trouble. Now, with the fast pacing world, you can have more frequent appointments and follow-ups with an online neuro doctor.

Case Review

This case study presents a patient with complex partial seizures (CPS). A 69-year-old man was brought into the hospital with a complaint that he was suddenly found half-undressed and had fallen down on the floor. There was an uncontrolled movement in his limb as well, which continued for almost 2 minutes. The patient’s family rushed him into the hospital. The patient was taken to the emergency room for evaluation. As told by the family, he had a past medical history. He had asthma, diet-controlled type 2 diabetes, gastroesophageal reflux disease, hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, and osteoporosis. The patient had a heart attack three years and back and was stented for the same. Due to his health conditions, he was on several medications. In the emergency room, when the patient was under observation by one of the top 5 neurologists in Patna and his team, they were able to diagnose from his symptoms that it was a seizure. The patient went for a few scans including, Electroencephalogram (EEG), CT, MRI, blood and urine tests.

Case Discussion

Though most of the onset seizure causes remain unknown, with the help of his team, the doctor was able to find out the reason for this one. The complex partial seizure caused in this case was due to the medical history of the patient. His scans came out to be reasonably sound, and an Electroencephalogram (EEG) was conducted again to rule out any possibility. There were problems in his blood and urine culture, and they were taken care of by the team. There were some abnormalities spotted in the temporal lobe of the patient. The group decided to start with the treatment while keeping him under observation for the next 48 hours.

Clinical Symptoms

He was initially confused and was not able to respond or hear properly. According to the condition reported by his family, i.e., falling down and removing clothes were some other clinical symptoms of seizures onset. When the doctor talked to the family of the patient, he was able to get a clearer picture. The patient was acting lost, and there were certain scenes of autism. When he observed the patient and talked to him, the patient was not able to remember any of it. This further helped doctors to eliminate all doubts, and after looking at the lab results, they made out it was a complex partial seizure.

Management

The first and foremost management required when treating the sudden onset of seizures in old age is calming the patient down. Our team of doctors was able to counsel the patient and explain his medical condition to the family. After a complete diagnosis, the patient was taken to the ICU as he was under observation. The doctor prescribed him antiepileptic drugs to control any future problems while treating the present one. The doctor is the best neurologist in not only Patna but the top neurologist in Gwalior, Jaipur, and Delhi stuck the right chord and was able to control and cure the patient before any further complications. You can also find him as a neurologist in Punjab, the best neurologist in Faridabad or brain specialist doctor in Faridabad , a top neurologist in Jaipur or neurologist doctor in Jaipur, the best neurologist in Saket, neurologist in South delhi or best neurologist in South Delhi, neurologist in Agra, mind doctor in Delhi, top neuro physician in Patna and a top neurologist in Gwalior, famous neurologist in Gwalior or neurologist doctor in Gwalior. He is also amongst the top 5 neurologist in Patna and top 10 neurologist in Delhi,ncr, and is also famous for his long distance senior care or long distance care giving,  services. You can also prefer doing online neurologist consultation. The patient got his discharge in due time and was sent back home in a healthy and happy condition.

FAQ

What are some seizure precautions?

Seizure precautions, for starters, require awareness at every single step. The patient should have a low bed with rails to prevent falling; the surroundings should be safe. He/she should wear protective gear to forestall any further damage. Also, the patient should take frequent breaks and stay hydrated. If the patient is stepping outside, always ensure that they are carrying a medical ID.

What can you include in your seizure prevention diet?

A typical seizure prevention diet is a low carbohydrate, high-fat diet like ketogenic diets. A person can include dairy products, animal products, nuts, like meat, cheese, and most high-fiber vegetables in their diet for seizure prevention. One should stay away from highly processed foods and sugary items. For better knowledge, one can do online neurologist consultation with the best neurologist in Patna.