Best Seizures Doctors in Bangalore

Seizures are sudden, uncontrollable electrical activities within the brain, altering movements, emotions, and even consciousness levels. These disturbing events are prompted by a multitude of factors, including brain injuries, infections, electrolyte imbalances, substance withdrawal, or sometimes unknown causes. It interferes with the brain's normal functioning, which can lead to temporary confusion, loss of consciousness, or cognitive and emotional changes.

In the vibrant city of Bangalore, an increasing number of people face neurological disorders like seizures due to stress, an unhealthy lifestyle, or hereditary factors. Fortunately, Apollo Hospitals in Bangalore boasts a team of renowned specialists dedicated to providing quality healthcare services for petit mal seizures. The following section will delve deeper into the tests used to diagnose seizures.

Types/Stages of Seizures

Seizures can be mainly divided into:

• Focal seizures: Originating in one area of the brain, these may occur with or without loss of consciousness. This may cause changes in awareness, behaviour, sensation, or abnormal movements, usually on one side of the body

• Generalised seizures: These affect both sides of the brain and often include loss of consciousness. This may cause abnormal movements on both sides of the body.

The progression of seizures can be categorised into three primary stages:

• Aura: This is the warning phase, where individuals may experience unusual sensations or behaviours, such as strange smells, tastes, visual disturbances, or feelings of anxiety or fear.

• Ictal: The active seizure phase is characterised by uncontrolled muscle movements, convulsions, changes in consciousness, and alterations in emotional state.

• Postictal: The recovery phase post-seizure may involve confusion, fatigue, disorientation, headaches, and muscle soreness.

Symptoms of Seizures

The symptoms associated with seizures can vary widely and include:

• Temporary confusion or a sense of fear

• Staring spells that seem out of place

• Muscle stiffening

• Breathing problems

• Loss of bowel or bladder control

• Jerking movements of the arms and legs

• Loss of consciousness or awareness

• Cognitive or emotional changes such as anxiety or sadness

Tests to Diagnose Seizures

Specialists who treat convulsions recommend several diagnostic tests to identify the type of seizures, which include:

• Electroencephalogram (EEG): This non-invasive test measures the electrical activity of the brain, which can help diagnose epilepsy and determine the type of seizure.

• Neuropsychological Tests: These tests assess cognitive functions such as memory, attention, and problem-solving skills to understand how seizures affect the brain.

• Imaging Tests: MRI, CT scan, PET, and SPECT help diagnose seizures by providing detailed brain images to identify causes such as lesions, tumours, or malformations, and pinpoint the origin of seizure activity.

• Blood tests: These tests can help identify potential causes such as infections, genetic conditions, or metabolic disorders.

• Lumbar Puncture (Spinal Tap): This test involves removing a sample of cerebrospinal fluid to check for signs of infection.

Treatment or Surgery Options for Seizures at Apollo Hospitals, Bangalore

At Apollo Hospitals in Bangalore, a team of specialists who prevent seizures offer comprehensive treatment options to manage seizures:

• Medication: Initial treatment involves anti-epileptic drugs to control seizure activity.

• Surgery: In cases where medications fail, our best surgeons specialising in neurological disorders offer patient-centric surgical resection or stereotactic radiosurgery. 

• Diet therapy: The ketogenic diet, along with other dietary approaches like the modified Atkins diet and low glycemic index treatment, may be recommended for drug-resistant epilepsy.

• Neuromodulation therapies: Advanced techniques such as vagus nerve stimulation and deep brain stimulation are employed to modulate brain activity and reduce seizure frequency.

• Management of underlying conditions: Treating underlying health conditions like infections, metabolic disorders, or electrolyte imbalances is crucial for controlling seizures.