Absence seizures: causes, symptoms and treatment

This childhood neurological disorder can be worrisome but is treatable.

Epilepsy is a neurological disease characterized by the presence of seizures. The seizures that most come to mind when we talk about epilepsy are those with violent Muscle contractions and loss of consciousness.

But they are not the only type of seizures that someone can suffer. Absence seizures, or petit malare much more discreet and physically harmless, but they must also be treated..

What is an absence crisis?

Not all absence seizures are the same. Because they are so fleeting, they are often not identified and parents of children who have them are slow to realize that their child is suffering from epilepsy.

Let's take a look at how absence seizures manifest themselves and what can be done for people who suffer from them.

Symptoms

Absence seizures are present almost exclusively in children. They are characterized by a brief period, usually about 15 seconds, where the individual who suffers them seems completely distracted and with a lost look. As if absorbed in his world. Typical signs and symptoms are:

• Lip smacking
• Rapid blinking
• Motor activity stops suddenly
• Chewing movements
• Small movements in both hands

These seizures begin abruptlyThe patient stops what he/she was doing or saying, undergoes the seizure while maintaining the same posture, and when the seizure is resolved continues with the activity he/she was doing. There is no memory of the episode, and the patient will often be surprised if another person tells him/her that he/she has just gone blank for a few seconds.

Because children with absence seizures may appear to be simply distracted, many parents become confused and believe that they were just mentally absorbed in something. Teachers are usually the first to notice, although teachers may also become confused and talk to parents about how from time to time the child seems to be disconnected from the class. If these phenomena occur frequently, it is likely to be absence seizures rather than distractibility.

Not all absence seizures are the same. Although most seizures begin and end abruptly and quickly, there is an atypical form of seizure where the symptoms are identical, but begin more slowly and have a longer duration. In addition, during the seizure the person may lose muscle tone or fall, and after the seizure will feel very confused.

Causes

In most cases, absence seizures are not manifestations of any underlying disease.. The seizures simply occur because the child is predisposed to electrical disturbances in the brain that cause the episodes. The electrical impulses that neurons use to communicate with each other become abnormal. In absence seizures, these electrical signals in the brain are repeated in a repetitive pattern lasting three seconds.

This predisposition to absence seizures is probably genetic and is transmitted from generation to generation. Some children have seizures when they hyperventilate while others have seizures in the presence of strobe lights. The exact cause that triggers the seizures is often unknown, but this does not prevent the seizures from being treatable.

Treatment

Once the child is seen by the neurologist, it is likely that he/she will confirm the diagnosis by provoking a seizure and measuring it through an electroencephalogram. In addition, imaging tests such as an imaging tests such as an MRI will be necessary to rule out other diagnoses that may cause similar symptoms and to ensure other diagnoses that may cause similar symptoms and to ensure that they are pure absence seizures.

Once the diagnosis is made, children with absence seizures receive pharmacological treatment. Typically, antiepileptic medication is used, starting with low doses until the necessary dose is reached to prevent further seizures. Common antiepileptic drugs include ethosuximide, valproic acid and lamotrigine. Any of the three active ingredients will be effective and safe, although the preference for one or the other will depend on the characteristics of the specific case.

There are some activities that should be avoided in people with absence seizures, as they cause a temporary loss of consciousness. For example, riding a bicycle or swimming could result in an accident or drowning. Until the seizures are under control, these children (and in some cases adults) should refrain from such activities. There are also bracelets that warn others that they are having a seizure, speeding up the process in case of an emergency.

Prognosis

The prognosis for absence seizures is usually positive.. Considering that about 65% of children get rid of epilepsy as they grow up, we can be optimistic if we combine this with successful pharmacological treatment. The only risks that exist with this disease are those that are run with the falls that could occur when suffering a crisis, and we know that the crises that produce this are very infrequent. It is normal for a child to suffer more than ten seizures a day and never fall to the ground or get hurt.

The brain is also not damaged after the absence seizure, so that the only interference may occur in the learning context, where these periods of loss of consciousness hinder the acquisition of knowledge. Finally, the medication is perfectly withdrawable in a prescribed manner by a physician when no seizures have occurred for two years in a row.