Question
What are the causes of pediatric epilepsy? I had an episode a few years ago after an all-night work shift when I suddenly fainted, had convulsions in all four limbs, and vomited blood foam. It lasted for about one or two minutes, and afterwards, I had no memory of it. The same situation happened again after I ran yesterday.
Answer
In clinical medicine, it is believed that the pathogenesis of epilepsy is due to the disintegration of regional brain tissue, which leads to blood supply obstruction, changes in extracellular fluid composition of nerve cells, and subsequent disorder. This disorder causes abnormalities in cell electrical physiological function and metabolism, altering the cell’s electrical physiology. The brain areas affected by epilepsy have no electrical activity, with a relatively small number of nerve cells. Due to insufficient blood supply and metabolic disorder, these areas undergo changes, resulting in excessive excitation and abnormal discharge activities. These activities are then propagated through surrounding nerves, leading to epileptic seizures. In short, epileptic seizures are caused by abnormal discharges of brain nerve cells. The abnormal discharges lead to brain hypoxia, causing a series of adverse reactions such as insufficient brain oxygen content, inadequate energy supply, and metabolic disorder. If the brain becomes hypoxic, any external stimulus can cause a lack of sufficient oxygen content in the brain, leading to recurrent seizures.