Epilepsy is associated with abnormal electrical activity in the brain, which typically causes seizures. — 123rf.com
Epilepsy is one of the more common neurologic disorders in children.
About one in 26 people have epilepsy, and one in 10 people will have at least one seizure in their lifetime.
Mayo Clinic paediatric neurologist and epileptologist Dr Anthony Fine says that even though it’s fairly common in children, there are a few misconceptions when it comes to epilepsy and kids.
Epilepsy can be a challenge to diagnose in children because not all seizures are the same.
“It’s really a common misconception that all seizures are convulsive seizures,” he says.
There are other types of seizures, such as absent seizures, where a child may blank out for a few seconds or minutes, then go back to whatever they were doing.
“I’ve had some kids whom, you know, people think they’re acting goofy.
“And this kind of continues, and eventually, it gets picked up that something is actually going on.
“And there are other seizures that look like night terrors almost,” he say.
He notes that for many children, there are treatments to control seizures.
“It’s not a one-size-fits-all kind of deal with epilepsy.
“You really need to tailor it to the patient and their response.
“But for the most part, anti- seizure medications can be very helpful.
“And some children can control their seizures completely.”
Dr Fine says a common misconception is that attention- deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medications can cause seizures, and children who have epilepsy and ADHD should avoid them.
“It turns out that that’s not true.
“It’s really that there’s just a strong relationship between epilepsy and ADHD.
“And so, if you have one, you’re more likely to have the other.” – By Jason Howland/Mayo Clinic News Network/Tribune News Service
