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Could you please repeat
that ma'am ?
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I must have passed out." |
If
that sounds like your child complaining
then he/she may be suffeirng from Petit
Mal Epilepsy (PME). PME is a manifestation
of a neurological disorder in the brain,
commonly referred to as "fits". It results
in brief reversible altera- tion of consciousness,
behaviour and perception.
Causes ::
Heredity plays a vital role in PME. Siblings
and offsprings of patients have more than two-folds
in risk for seizure. Stress, worry, lack of sleep
and anxiety may precipitate seizures.
Incidence ::
It starts between the age of 5-13 years. They
may be first recognised when the child displays
certain learning difficulties in school (blank
spells/loss of concentration/poor memory).
Symptoms ::
Seizures manifest mostly on the face and the lips-sudden
stare, fluttering of the eyelids, fumbling with
clothes, shaking of the hands etc. They usually
last for a few seconds.Full recovery occurs in
5-10 seconds and the episode may go unnoticed
by the patient, the family and the teacher. EEG
is characterisitc
Treatment & prevention ::
If detected early epilepsy can be cured. Help
the child maintain self-esteem. For more details
consult your doctor.
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