Chennai doctors have encouraging news on World Epilepsy Day, March 26, this year about the crippling neuro disease.
Awareness about epilepsy is on an upswing among patients’ families, while new-age medication and surgical procedures can now cure certain types of epilepsies.
However, the general population needs to be more aware about how to handle an epileptic patient with seizures and also be more accepting of the problem, says Dr K.P. Thirumaran, senior neurosurgeon at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital.
The younger generation may be up-to-date, but older people brought up on a diet of ’80s Tamil movies still tend to administer the worst first-aid measures to an epileptic patient.
Pouring water down the throat of a person with seizures, thrusting a metal rod into his hands, or holding him flat to the ground could be extremely dangerous.
“Metal has nothing to do with seizures, the patient may injure himself if he is given a metal object,” warns Dr Thirumaran, whose team at the GH performs 7-10 brain surgeries to treat epilepsy every month.“If the patient is on the ground, his head and neck should be turned to his side, to prevent choking if he vomits. No water or food should be given for the same reason,” says the doctor.
Every day, the GH receives around 400 people from across the city and its outskirts.
“With each passing year, patient compliance gets better. They understand the importance of taking their medicines regularly,” says Dr Deepak Arjundas, senior consultant neurologist at Vijaya Hospitals.
“In some groups of patients, especially children, following a gluten-free diet (a protein found in wheat-based foods) along with medication, helps reduce epileptic symptoms. Alcohol, smoking and additives such as ajinomoto should be avoided as these are known epileptogenic substances,” says Dr Arjundas.