Zubair Qureshi
International Epilepsy Day was marked on Feb 10 worldwide to raise awareness on epilepsy regard what it is, how it can be treated, and what is needed to bring treatment to all people who need it.
Epilepsy is a mental disease marked by recurrent, unprovoked seizures.
Dr Maimoona Siddiqui, HOD & Consultant Neurologist at Shifa International Hospital (SIH) while talking to Pakistan Observer on Monday said traditionally, diagnosis of epilepsy required occurrence of at least 2 unprovoked seizures.
The first seizure should not be treated unless there is any clinical finding explained on diagnostic tests including MRI, EEG or any abnormal focal neurological findings or in case of family history.
The lifetime likelihood of experiencing at least 1 epileptic seizure is about 9pc, and the lifetime likelihood of receiving a diagnosis of epilepsy is almost 3pc.
According to a study, overall prevalence of epilepsy in Pakistan is estimated to be 9.99 per 1000 population, which is more or less similar to Global Prevalence (5-10 cases per 1000).
It is estimated that up to 70% of people living with epilepsy could live seizure-free if properly diagnosed and treated.
As per the recommendations of Epilepsy Foundation, Dr Maimoona called for precautionary measures to avoid epilepsy related accidents.
These include replacing glass with plastic, cautious use of hot fluid, taking shower instead of bath, installing a rubber mat or non-skid strips on the tub or shower floor, pad hard edges of tables and furniture, cook with partner, consider using a seizure alert monitor or sharing a room.
According to Dr Azhar Saeed, Consultant Neurologist (SIH), although the mainstay of treatment for individuals with epilepsy is pharmacological, non-drug treatments such as psychological interventions, the Ketogenic Diet (KD) and VagusNerve Stimulation (VNS) are also used.