Read the text. Epilepsy in children is considered as one of the most prevalent neurological condition which also affects the adult population to a great extent

Epilepsy in children is considered as one of the most prevalent neurological condition which also affects the adult population to a great extent. It is marked by the occurrence of chronic seizures in a child without any provocation. These seizures take place due to excessive and abnormal neuronal activities in a child’s brain. Epileptic seizures can be controlled by proper medication though complete cure may not be achieved.

The good thing is that some variants of this syndrome are only limited to the childhood of a person. Epilepsy, as a matter of fact, should be understood as a group of syndromes with various symptoms. However all of them are linked with irregular electric activity that takes place in the brain of the victim.

This can occur to a child anytime after his or her birth. On an average estimate, this menace can affect one in every 200 children. It happens in children even in the developed nations. In fact epilepsy in children is quite a common disorder which requires immediate medical attention and proper rehabilitative treatment

Epilepsy in children can be classified into 40 categories. However, they fall under two major groups. The generalized types of seizures impact the entire brain. On the other hand, the Myoclonic seizures tend to impact one side of the victim’s brain. This again can be divided into simple or complex types. In the former a child remains conscious while in the latter he loses consciousness totally. Some of the complex seizure types are psychomotor seizures and temporal lobe epilepsy.

Surprising as it may sound, for 60% to 70% cases of Epilepsy in children there are no specific causes. However, the doctors point to some factors that have been found in the affected children. The malformation of a child’s brain can lead to seizures. If the child’s brain is damaged due to some infection or if he suffers hemorrhage while being born he may become a prey to epilepsy later. Other suspects include low blood sugar levels, meningitis and encephalitis. A child can also become a victim of seizure due to his genetic attributes in some instances. Some doctors point to the genetic factor more than any other. Usually, most types of seizures take place quickly. It has been observed that the children affected by these syndromes are extremely sensitive to change of light patterns such as flickering on the television. Children who suffer from poisoning due to exposure to toxic chemicals can develop epilepsy later in their life.

Since epilepsy can attack different parts of the human brain, its symptoms vary from one case to another. One of the most prevalent types of seizure in children called Tonic-clonic seizure starts with irritable and unusual attitude. Thereafter the muscles of the child are contracted and his body becomes stiffened. During this time his body can jerk violently. Following this the child can shriek and fall unconscious on the surface.

The seizure ceases to exist after a few minutes of the attack. After gaining consciousness the affected child may feel drowsy for some time and may also feel a desire to sleep. However, it should be noted that not every type of seizure will follow the symptoms in the aforesaid order. If nobody is around during the time of the seizure, the afflicted child may look vaguely and face difficulty in regaining full consciousness. Though there is no single effective test for the diagnosis and confirmation of epilepsy some doctors recommend blood tests as well as brain scans.

The main objective of the treatments of epilepsy in Children is to keep the afflicted child safe. Therefore, the children should be put into the best posture for quick recovery, and their dresses should be loosened. They should not be restrained forcibly. In some instances, the patients of seizures are prescribed anticonvulsant drugs.

In some of the complicated cases, brain surgery is also performed. Expert care is what the affected children need to be given. Unless proper medical intervention occurs this can turn out to be a serious malaise and cause complications in the later stage.

III. 1. Answer the questions:

1) What is the outlook for children with epilepsy? Will they grow out of epilepsy?

2) Can epilepsy be prevented?

3) How is epilepsy treated?

4) Who treats epilepsy?

5) Can epilepsy be fatal?

 

2. Make the plan of the text. Here are the titles in the wrong order. Make the order correct:

1) Epilepsy as a neurological condition.

2) Causes of epilepsy in children.

3) Types of epilepsy in children.

4) Treatments of epilepsy.

5) Symptoms of epilepsy.

 

3. Say whether the following statements are true or false:

1) Epilepsy is a common chronic neurological disorder characterized by seizures.

2) Children with epilepsy generally have normal intelligence, which is no different from that of non-epileptics.

3) Epileptic seizures cannot be controlled by proper medication.

4) For the majority of children the outlook is favourable as epilepsy is a treatable condition

5) The child may be forced to miss a lot of school due to seizures. The seizures can impair a child's ability to memorize learning materials.

6) Most children who develop epilepsy are treated conventionally with anticonvulsants.

7) A person having a seizure can swallow his tongue.

 

4. Find the synonymous words in the text:

- danger;

- sickness;

- to influence the whole brain;

- physical restoration;

- medical care;

- convulsion;

- epilepsy attack.