Epilepsy Treatment at CritiCare Asia Hospitals, Kurla, Mumbai
CritiCare Asia Hospitals, Kurla, is a neurology hospital in Mumbai where seizures are assessed step by step, with each finding explained to the patient and family. Epilepsy is a neurological condition in which sudden bursts of abnormal electrical activity in the brain cause recurrent seizures. A single seizure does not establish the diagnosis. Epilepsy is considered when seizures repeat without a clear immediate trigger, or when tests suggest they are likely to. For anyone seeking epilepsy treatment in Kurla, Mumbai, the first task is to work out what type of seizure is occurring and why, at whatever age it begins.
Types of Seizures
Seizures do not always look like the convulsions people picture. Their appearance depends on where in the brain they begin.
- Focal seizures start in one region. Awareness may be kept or lost, and signs range from an odd rising sensation or a twitching hand to a fixed stare or repetitive movements such as lip-smacking.
- Generalised seizures involve both sides of the brain from the start. Tonic-clonic seizures cause stiffening, jerking and loss of consciousness, while absence seizures are brief lapses of awareness, often mistaken for daydreaming in children.
Some focal seizures spread and become generalised. Confusion, drowsiness or a headache afterwards is common.
When to Seek Evaluation
Anyone who has had a first seizure should be assessed, even if they seem well afterwards. An epilepsy specialist should also see people with:
- Brief spells of staring or unresponsiveness, especially in a child
- Unexplained falls, or jerks soon after waking
- Seizures that continue despite regular medication
- Episodes that change in pattern or frequency
Families sometimes hold back because the episodes are short or rare, or because they are unsure what an assessment involves. A clear description of what was seen, ideally a phone video, helps the epilepsy doctor more than almost anything else.
What Causes Epilepsy
In many people no cause is found, even after thorough testing. Where one is identified, it usually belongs to one of these groups:
- Head injury
- Stroke or other damage to the brain's blood supply
- Brain infections such as meningitis, encephalitis or neurocysticercosis
- Tumours or structural abnormalities of the brain
- Injury around birth, or developmental and genetic conditions
Triggers can tip a seizure in someone already prone to them. Missed medication, poor sleep, heavy drinking and fever-related illness are the usual ones.
How Epilepsy Is Diagnosed
No single test confirms epilepsy, so the diagnosis is assembled from several sources.
- A clinical history from the patient and anyone who witnessed the episodes
- A neurological examination
- EEG, which records the brain's electrical activity. A routine EEG can look normal between seizures, so longer or video-EEG monitoring is sometimes needed
- MRI, to look for scarring, tumours or developmental abnormalities
- Blood tests, to rule out metabolic or infective causes
The seizure type and its likely origin then guide the choice of treatment.
What to Do During a Seizure
Most seizures end by themselves within a couple of minutes, so the aim is to keep the person safe until then.
- Clear hard or sharp objects and cushion the head
- Turn the person onto their side once the jerking stops
- Note the time the seizure began
- Never restrain them or put anything in their mouth
Call for emergency help if a seizure lasts beyond five minutes, if seizures follow one another without recovery in between, or if it is the person's first.
Living with Epilepsy
Regular sleep, medication taken at the same times each day, and limited alcohol matter as much as any prescription. Swimming alone and working at heights carry extra risk, and driving should be discussed with the treating neurologist. For children, a seizure plan shared with the school helps.
Treatment Options
Anti-seizure medication is the first line of seizure disorder treatment, and many people achieve good control with a single, well-chosen drug. The choice depends on seizure type, age, other health conditions and, for women, pregnancy plans. Doses are adjusted gradually, and stopping suddenly can provoke seizures. Patients are told plainly how long medication is likely to continue and what follow-up will involve.
When seizures continue despite two properly chosen and tolerated medicines, the epilepsy is regarded as drug-resistant. More tablets alone are then less likely to help, and a fuller assessment is appropriate. Seizure management at that stage may include a supervised ketogenic diet, sometimes used in children, neuromodulation or surgery.
Epilepsy surgery in Kurla, Mumbai is considered when seizures are drug-resistant and arise from a part of the brain that can be treated. It begins with a presurgical evaluation to locate where seizures start and to confirm that the area can be treated without harming speech, movement or memory. This usually combines video-EEG monitoring, MRI, PET and neuropsychological testing, and in some patients electrodes are placed inside the skull for closer recording. Depending on the findings, options include:
- Removal of the seizure-producing area, most often in the temporal lobe
- Disconnection procedures, such as corpus callosotomy or hemispherotomy, which interrupt the pathways seizures travel along
- Vagus nerve stimulation, an implanted device that sends regular impulses to the brain, used when removal is not possible
Surgery does not suit everyone and does not always end seizures, so medication may continue afterwards.
Epilepsy Treatment at CritiCare Asia Hospitals, Kurla, Mumbai
Managing epilepsy takes more than prescribing a tablet. At CritiCare Asia Hospitals, Kurla, neurologists assess the seizure type and likely cause, using EEG and imaging to shape the plan. Each stage is explained in plain language, from tests to treatment choices, so families know what is being done and why. Questions about costs and insurance paperwork can be raised before investigations or surgery are planned. Where medication does not bring control, patients are assessed for surgery through a coordinated process involving neurosurgery and neuropsychology. To discuss seizures in yourself or a loved one, ask for an appointment with a neurologist in Mumbai at CritiCare Asia Hospitals, Kurla.