Absence Seizure is a type of epilepsy that causes a person to become absent-minded, such as stopping talking while telling a story or suddenly stopping walking. However, the symptoms usually go away within a few seconds. Absence seizures can occur in conjunction with other seizure types.
Absent-mindedness epilepsy is most common in children, but it can occur at any age. Most often, it disappears as people grow up. Initial treatment may include anticonvulsants and self-care. However, if you experience symptoms of this type of epilepsy, you should see a doctor for diagnosis, as this condition can affect your life.
Absence Seizure Symptoms
The most common symptoms are temporary pauses and blank spaces, which may occur while sitting, standing, walking or in other postures, but will not stop without falling or becoming weak, except in cases where it occurs with other symptoms of epilepsy , such as tremors, muscle twitching, muscle weakness or epilepsy, which may cause the patient to fall and have an accident. Blank spaces usually occur and disappear within less than 15 seconds or may take longer, but this is rare.
During a spaced-out, the patient may have specific movements that are different from before, such as chewing, blinking rapidly, pursing the lips, and moving fingers and hands. After recovering from the spaced-out, the patient will return to the activities they were doing, such as walking or talking, without any memory of the spaced-out period.
In addition, absence seizures in children can affect their learning and life. Therefore, if your child or other family members have such absences several times a day, continuously for several weeks, or affect their learning, you should see a doctor for a diagnosis. For those who know that they have such symptoms, if they take medication regularly and have seizures, seizures become more severe, or other types of seizures occur together, they should also see a doctor.
Causes of Absence Seizure
Absence seizures are caused by abnormalities in the brain and nervous system caused by sudden changes in neurotransmitters and electrical charges in the brain, which affects brain function and body movement. The cause of changes in neurotransmitters and electrical charges in the brain may be due to abnormal genetics or triggered by stimuli such as flashing lights or hyperventilation.
In addition, other factors may increase the risk of this type of seizure, such as age and gender, as this symptom is most common in children aged 4-14 years, and is more common in girls than boys. In addition, those who have a family history of epilepsy may be at increased risk of this symptom, etc.
Diagnosis of Absence Seizure
Initially, the doctor will ask about symptoms, check medical history, and perform a physical examination to find and analyze the characteristics of the disease . The doctor may then perform additional tests using an EEG (Electroencephalogram), which is the most popular method used to examine absent-minded epilepsy. It is used to look for changes or abnormalities in electrical signals within the brain.
In addition, your doctor may perform tests to look for other conditions that may cause absence seizures or similar symptoms, such as:
- Blood test
- Liver and kidney function tests
- Computed Tomography ( CT) Scan
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
- Spinal tap
Absence Seizure Treatment
If your doctor diagnoses you with absence epilepsy, he or she may recommend anticonvulsants such as valproic acid or ethosuximide. The doctor will prescribe the lowest dose to prevent side effects. The duration of medication use may depend on your symptoms. In some cases, if necessary, your doctor may recommend surgery.
Complications from Absence Seizure
Absence seizures in children can affect their learning, cause them to feel isolated, have behavioral problems, and are at risk of accidents if they are absent-minded while crossing the road, driving, or swimming. These problems can have negative consequences in the future. In addition, some children may not recover from the symptoms of the disease, and even when they grow up, they still need to take anti-seizure medications all the time. Or their seizures may become more severe and develop into other forms of epilepsy.
Absence Seizure Prevention
Absence seizures in some patients may be caused by genetics that are passed down from family members. Therefore, it cannot be prevented. For patients who know and have been diagnosed with this symptom by a doctor, they should take medication as prescribed by the doctor to prevent such symptoms. The doctor may recommend changing lifestyle behaviors along with taking medication, which may help reduce the risk of recurrence, such as eating nutritious foods, especially good fats and low in carbohydrates, getting enough sleep, and avoiding dangerous situations such as driving or swimming.
In addition, to prevent complications in learning, behavior, and emotions, since this condition often occurs in children, parents should talk to the patient and those around him to create an understanding of the symptoms of the disease and help plan care together. They may consult a doctor for further advice.
