Epileptologist: When Should You Request A Consultation?
The term epileptologist refers to the physician who has specifically specialized in the disorder of epilepsy. It is actually a professional who first majored in neurology. This is the specialty that studies disorders of the nervous system.
Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders. It affects people of all ages and it is estimated that its incidence in the world is 50 million people. In the past, people who suffered from this disease were rejected. The convulsions were believed to be the result of a spiritual possession.
Today, the risk of premature death in patients with epilepsy is three times higher than in the healthy population. The epileptologist is widely familiar with the pathology and antiepileptic drugs. In addition, it is focused on investigating other possible treatments for this disease.
Due to its importance, in this article we explain everything you need to know about this pathology and when you should go to the epileptologist.
What is epilepsy?
Epilepsy is a neurological disorder in which brain activity is disturbed. Some brain cells produce excessive electrical discharges, which are what cause seizures. This can occur in different parts of the brain.
The frequency of epileptic seizures also varies. There may be cases in which the person suffers several attacks a day and others in which these episodes occur once or twice a year. Likewise, they can be both very brief episodes of absence, such as generalized seizures, and serious.
All the characteristics of the seizures depend on the part of the brain that is disturbed. For example, it is very typical that the affected part is the temporal lobe. In these cases, the main symptom is usually loss of consciousness.
Anyone can develop this disease. It affects men and women equally. In fact, it can appear at any age. However, it is more frequent in extreme ages of life, that is, in children and the elderly.
What is the role of the epileptologist?
As we have mentioned before, epilepsy is a disease that for centuries has been very stigmatizing for those who suffered from it. Throughout all of history, people who suffered from it were treated as if they were possessed by the devil. In fact, it was thought to be contagious. The result was that all of them ended up being rejected by society.
Currently, it has been shown that this pathology can affect anyone, regardless of race or social class. However, when the word epilepsy is said, we still imagine that it is someone who is having seizures and is unconscious. But this is not the case, seizures can manifest themselves in many ways.
This is one of the reasons why the epileptologist is a necessary specialist in neurology : they know well the whole range of symptoms that can appear. On the other hand, the fact that there are epileptologists shows that this disease is more frequent than previously thought. It also helps to gradually crumble all those old beliefs.
An epileptologist makes it possible for this disorder to gradually stop being something so discriminatory. In addition, they are in charge of studying this situation in depth and, thanks to them, the diagnosis and treatment is increasingly effective.
When should you go to the epileptologist?
The work of the epileptologist is clear, but when should we go to him? To find out, you must first know what the most common symptoms of epilepsy are.
We have already mentioned that symptoms vary depending on the area affected and the type of seizure. The normal thing is that the person suffers in the same way in all the attacks. However, they will be different from those of another patient. The most common symptoms are the following:
- Confusion.
- Crisis of absences.
- Anxiety and fear.
- Sphincter relaxation.
- Loss of consciousness.
- Involuntary contractions of arms and legs.
Sometimes the epileptic seizure consists of generalized seizures that prevent you from breathing properly. This is an urgent situation that must be studied by the epileptologist, for example.
In conclusion, the epileptologist is the neurologist specialized in epilepsy. Therefore, it is the professional you should go to if you think you have suffered some kind of attack, or if you have already been diagnosed with this disease. Its role is to help people with this disease find the best treatment and maintain the best possible quality of life.
