More than 50 million people in Pakistan suffer from epilepsy, and the disease affects approximately nine out of every 1,000 people according to medical experts.
More than 50 million people in Pakistan suffer from epilepsy, and the disease affects approximately nine out of every 1,000 people according to medical experts. This disease has a very high prevalence of around 1%. He stated that the main causes of epilepsy after 50 years are high blood pressure, diabetes, and brain tumors, and that effective measures can be used to control this disease.
On World Epilepsy Day, these sentiments were expressed during a walk led by the caretaker minister for specialized healthcare and medical education, Prof. Dr. Javed Akram, at the Punjab Institute of Neurosciences (PINS). Prof. Dr. Javed Akram stated that there is an urgent need to promote research in the province’s medical schools.
He stated that a massive operation is underway in Punjab to combat the earthquakes that are endangering human lives. He went on to say that PINS will develop an integrated parking system for the benefit of patients and their families.
According to Prof. Dr. Khalid Mahmood and Prof. Mohsin Zaheer, epilepsy is one of the world’s major neurological diseases caused by a disorder in the brain cells, and patients with this disease have occasional spells.
He went on to say that the care and upkeep of such a patient become the permanent responsibility of his family, with long-term consequences. Prof. Asif Bashir, Prof. Ahsan Noman, MS Dr. Khalid Bin Aslam, Dr. Shahid Mukhtar, Nursing Superintendent Razia Shamim, and a large number of doctors, nurses, and paramedics attended. In addition, they carried banners and pamphlets about disease awareness, prevention, and symptoms.
According to ED PINS, the advancement of medical science and the availability of modern medicines on the market have made it possible to treat epilepsy more effectively. He stated that due to current trends in neuro-medical sciences, it is critical to raise public awareness about the diagnosis of epilepsy so that people can seek treatment from an authorised doctor rather than quacks.
Prof. Khalid stated that the epilepsy patient should keep the medication prescribed by the doctor with him at all times, tie a band on his hand with his illness written on it, and be told that if he has a stroke, he should take the medication.
Prof Mohsin Zaheer and Dr. Shahid Mukhtar explained the symptoms of this disease, saying that during epileptic seizures, the patient faints, the tongue becomes stuck between the teeth, the hands and feet become twisted or stiff, the pupils of the eyes dilate, and the mouth stiffens.
Epilepsy symptoms are asymptomatic, with seizures lasting 1 to 2 minutes; however, if a patient experiences these symptoms for more than five minutes, he should be taken to the hospital immediately. When children do any kind of work, they become numb or silent for 10 to 15 seconds. Some epilepsy patients fall while standing and are more likely to sustain head injuries.
During the visit, he mentioned that during epileptic seizures, a cloth should not be stuffed in the patient’s mouth, that if there is a scarf or tie around the neck, loosen it, and that sharp objects should be removed so that the patient is not injured. Place him on one side so that his tongue does not fall down his throat.
MS Dr. Khalid bin Aslam stated that while the disease has not been fatal due to the availability of modern medicines for the treatment of epilepsy, there are still risks for such patients in the event of an accident.