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Alcoholic epilepsy is a disease that has seizures. It occurs in people who have stopped drinking or who have drastically reduced the amount of alcohol they consume.
Alcoholic epilepsy – occurrence and causes
Alcoholic epilepsy it occurs in about 5-25 percent of people with advanced alcoholism. It is also called a “complication of withdrawal syndrome”. Seizures can happen in two ways: when the blood alcohol level drops or some time after you stop drinking. This is because long-term consumption of large amounts of alcohol increases your body’s seizure threshold. Disruption of the supply of alcohol to the body causes the threshold to be rapidly lowered, resulting in seizures similar to epilepsy. This is only a naming similarity since alcoholic epilepsy – unlike normal – it is not a source of disturbances in the biochemistry of the brain.
Other suspected causes of occurrence alcoholic epilepsy These include: organic alcohol-induced brain damage, electrolyte disturbances, disturbances in calcium channel function, disturbances in neurotransmitters (especially a decrease in inhibitory gamma-aminobutyric acid, GABA), and over-hydration of the brain.
Alcoholic epilepsy – symptoms
Because alcoholic epilepsy the symptoms are similar to ordinary epilepsy, they are easy to confuse them with: loss of consciousness, cramps in the muscles of the legs and arms, facial tension. Unlike ordinary epilepsy, alcoholic epilepsy may also include diarrhea, sweating, nausea, increased heart rate and blood pressure spikes. During this type of epilepsy, a person may be very hyperactive or shy. Sleep disturbances also appear. If you sleep poorly, you can try dietary supplements available on Medonet Market to improve sleep quality and concentration.
During an attack, the head of the sick person must be protected against possible injuries. Do not give her any fluids or put anything into the mouth (to prevent the tongue from biting), as this may cause it to choke.
symptoms alcoholic epilepsy they last up to several days. Signals of an impending attack are very rare alcoholic epilepsy. The first attack can be expected even a few hours after stopping alcohol.
Alcoholic epilepsy – treatment
Alcoholic epilepsy can be treated with the anticonvulsants and antiepileptic drugs prescribed by your doctor. More often, however, a treatment is used to restore the electrolyte balance in the body and remove toxins and alcohol metabolites from it. This requires specialist medical care.
Could Untreated Alcoholic Epilepsy Cause Death? It is possible. According to the estimates of medical institutions, about 1-2 percent. patients die as a result of an epileptic attack. It is associated with post-paroxysmal complications, especially heart failure and brain death as a result of hypoxia. They can be caused by other illnesses of the patient, such as hyperthermia, hypertension, renal failure, acidosis, hypoxia, hyperkalemia, as well as excessive levels of catecholamines in the blood.
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