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GERIATRICS: IS IT EPILEPSY OR DEMENTIA?

Dr. Sita Jayalakshmi, Thursday, November 7, 2019

WHAT IS EPILEPSY?

Epilepsy is a chronic disorder, the hallmark of which is recurrent, unprovoked seizures. Many people with epilepsy have more than one type of seizure and may have other symptoms of neurological problems as well.


WHAT IS DEMENTIA?

Dementia is not a specific disease. It's an overall term that describes a wide range of symptoms associated with a decline in memory or other thinking skills severe enough to reduce a person's ability to perform everyday activities. Alzheimer's disease accounts for 60 to 80 percent of cases. Vascular dementia, which occurs after a stroke, is the second most common dementia type. But there are many other conditions that can cause symptoms of dementia, including some that are reversible, such as thyroid problems and vitamin deficiencies.


WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF ELDERLY DEMENTIA?

In elderly patients, dementia has the following signs. These symptoms include:

  • Confusion
  • Suspended awareness
  • Hearing or seeing things
  • Sporadic memory loss

Elderly tend to develop focal epilepsy, which impacts only a small portion of the brain. As a result of seizure activity in their brain, they may become anxious all of a sudden or be unaware of their surroundings or they may simply stop and stare.


WHAT OTHER CONDITIONS RISK EPILEPSY IN ELDERLY?

Other conditions increase epilepsy risk are:

  • Stroke
  • Alzheimer’s disease,
  • Trauma,
  • Tumors,
  • Uremia,
  • Hyperglycemia,
  • Hypoglycemia,
  • Hyponatremia,
  • Alcohol withdrawal
  • infection.


HOW IS EPILEPSY TREATED IN ELDERLY?

Epilepsy is tougher to treat in seniors than in younger patients. Yet making the correct choice of a medication that is well tolerated and effective can be very rewarding.

Seizures or fits in most seniors can be fully controlled with appropriate medical management. They already may have other health problems, and this makes their chronic epilepsy treatment more complicated.

Also, they may take other medications, which raises the chances of dangerous drug interactions. And their slower metabolism can mean more side effects from anti-seizure medications. This means that older adults are less likely to be compliant with their epilepsy medications.


HOW TO DEAL WITH IT?

When a person of any age receives an epilepsy diagnosis, it can disrupt an independent lifestyle and restrict driving. For elderly people, their risk of falls and broken bones also increases. The key is to work closely with each patient and make changes to balance independence and safety until the seizures are under control.


WHY KIMS?

Among all the hospitals for epilepsy, KIMS stands out in its unique and efficient treatment of epilepsy, seizure and fits in Hyderabad. Our epilepsy specialist in Hyderabad, Dr. Sita Jayalakshmi, is a recognized doctor in the research, diagnosis, and medical treatments for epilepsy, especially among the elderly. Our program delivers safe, effective, and innovative seizures treatment in Hyderabad. Our epilepsy treatment in Hyderabad takes pride in offering quality, specialized epilepsy care for all of our patients. We offer new treatments that are backed by our extensive research and clinical trials. Our carefully individualized drug regimens and sophisticated seizure monitoring help identify epilepsy in elderly dementia patients and help treat it before it gets complicated.

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