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Living With Epilepsy
What Is SUDEP?
First things first, SUDEP basically means sudden unexpected death in epilepsy.
SUDEP is used as a term when a particular person who has epilepsy dies suddenly
and the cause of death is unknown.
The cause is clearly neither pathological nor clinical. There have been cases
wherein epileptic patients have been found lying on bed (no longer breathing and
it seems their breathing stopped during their sleep) and with no seizure seen to
have occurred.
This is where the sudden death comes from as an otherwise healthy person
suddenly dies.
This is when the death is not caused by an injury, drowning, after a seizure or
a severe and prolonged seizure.
The causes of SUDEP
Believe it or not, the real cause of SUDEP is not specifically known. If ever a
post exam mortem is made on a particular person who has died of SUDEP, there is
really no abnormal cause that could be seen that could account for such a
person’s death.
There are actually many theories on why someone who has epilepsy may suddenly
die. One such theory is that seizures could have affected a part of a person’s
brain that controls breathing and the heart functions. When a seizure happens,
these functions stop.
Another cause of SUDEP is cardiac arrest that is irreversible. One theory
suggests that electric discharge from the brain could cause changes in the
heart’s electrical status, thereby affecting its heart rhythm.
Is SUDEP common?
SUDEP risk is really small for a lot of people who has epilepsy. In the United
Kingdom alone, there have been five hundred SUDEP deaths.
However, compare such a number to those people who actually have epilepsy, and
it is actually rare.
A lot of people who have epilepsy actually get to live a normal life and do not
suffer or die from SUDEP.
The fact of the matter is that most people who die of SUDEP have had seizures
that are generalized tonic clonic in nature, especially for those young adults.
One of the major factors that bring the risk of SUDEP is one’s poor control over
the seizures and those seizures that occur when one sleeps.
For those who have epilepsy that is severe, estimates reveal that one person out
of two hundred die and suffer from SUDEP every year.
However, for those who have epilepsy that is idiopathically mild, estimates show
that one person in a thousand die and suffer from SUDEP annually.
Can SUDEP risk be lessened?
Having epilepsy-induced death could be considerably lessened through the
prevention of seizures. This is usually achieved through medication.
For some people suffering from epilepsy, surgery is actually used in order to
prevent any seizures during the instance when taking medication is not
successful.
There are cases that seizures were not fully stopped.
Who are more prone to SUDEP?
Basically, those who have refractory epilepsy (or those that have poor control
of their seizures) are more prone to SUDEP.
Also, those patients who are quite young and have a history of tonic generalized
clonic seizures. This also includes those having a history of epilepsy for two
years.
Those who take two anti epilepsy drugs, especially if combined with agents that
are psychiatric in nature.
People who comply poorly with medications that are anti-epileptic.
People who abuse alcohol.
People who are alone when a seizure happens.
Is SUDEP preventable?
As much as possible, keeping appointments with your doctor is necessary. This
is so that any changes are instantly monitored and medications are adjusted
accordingly.
Taking your medications regularly is also necessary. Also, any changes in
dosage or immediate withdrawal from a particular drug must be avoided.
A healthy lifestyle should also be adopted. Adequate and regular sleeping
patterns must be maintained and regular exercise is necessary. Eating
nutritious food regularly is also vital.
Being able to cope with stress also helps in keeping seizures to a minimum.
Avoiding street drugs and alcohol is also necessary.
It is also helpful if the company you keep knows what to do during your
seizures.
All in all, SUDEP is preventable as long as you make it so. As much as
possible, prevention is always better than a pound of cure. It saves time,
effort and stress in the long run for those suffering from epilepsy and for
those whom you know is suffering from epilepsy.
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MSN
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Google
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Yahoo!
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