| Epilepsy, Its
Treatment, and the Role of Phenobarbital Epilepsy is a chronic neurologic
disorder characterized by seizures. Unlike many
diseases, epilepsy affects all demographic groups
equally, with about 1% of the American population
diagnosed with the disease. The most common age
for seizures to begin is between the ages of 5
and 20 years, but the onset may be much later in
life.
| As
with many disease conditions, the
Internet affords an opportunity for the
dissemination of detailed information
including the history of the disease,
whom it effects, the diagnosis, symptoms,
treatment and outlook. If you are
interested in epilepsy you might look at
this epilepsy Frequently Asked Questions
(FAQ) site |
Seizures
result from an abnormal electrical impulse in the
brain. People with epilepsy find that seizures
are often initiated by specific stimulations - lack of sleep, emotional stress,
menstruation, alcohol ingestion and the presence
of flickering lights. The seizures may last
from seconds to minutes, with the cause for most
seizures unknown.
There are several ways to
treat seizures associated with epilepsy. Most
treatment regimens begin with drug therapy, but other treatments may include
diet modification and even surgery. Careful
monitoring of medication level and compliance to
the drug regimen prescribed by the physician can
usually result in the patient leading a
relatively normal life. New developments have led
to a greater success in therapy.
Phenobarbital affects many
organs of the body and not just the central
nervous system. Phenobarbital stabilizes the
membranes of the nerves, preventing the
conduction of the signal. If you think of the
nervous system as similar to electricity, then
phenobarbital stops the conduction of the
"electric signal" to the brain.
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