How to Understand Epilepsy20 Sep
What is Epilepsy?
Epilepsy is the term used for disorders that cause disruptions or disturbances in the electrical signaling in the brain. The brain is a complex machine that actually is run by an electrical system that is received around 80 pulses of energy every second. The pulses move between nerve cells to create feelings, thoughts, and memories.
A person that has epilepsy will have what is called an epileptic seizure. These seizures occur when the pulses instead of being around 80 per second can be as quick as 500 per second. These impulses may only happen in one area of the brain or can affect the entire brain. According to the area of the brain that is hit with these fast impulses a wide range of seizures can occur including changes in an individuals state of consciousness or sensations and uncontrolled movements of the body or just certain parts of the body.
Epilepsy can also be referring to a person that has a seizure disorder due to the repeated onset of seizures.
Epilepsy seizures do not have a rhyme or reason, they can be mild, severe, occur seldom, occur frequently, and occur any time of the day or night. Some individuals may only have one to three seizures their entire life while others may have three or more seizures in just one day.
Symptoms of epilepsy
The only visible symptom of epilepsy is the seizures. There are different types of seizures with the symptoms affecting each person differently. In most cases, the seizures only last between a few seconds to a few minutes. Some individuals remain alert during the seizure while others lose consciousness. Some may not even realize they had a seizure at all.
A few seizures have a person falling to the ground or their muscles stiffen, or they jerk uncontrollably. On the other hand, not all seizures have this effect and can be very hard to distinguish. In some cases, the seizures are nothing more than staring out into space for a few seconds, while others may only have a muscle twitch, a turn of the heard, or notice a strange smell or have a disturbance in their visions. All of the later ones are only noticeable by the person having the seizure.
All of the seizures occur without any notice or warning. Some have notice a type of aura at the start of a seizure. The seizure will end with the electrical activity in the brain stops the abnormal impulses. Seizures also differ in that they can be partial or generalized.
Types of epilepsy
There are several different types of epilepsy with all causing some type of seizure. The various types of epilepsy includes benign focal childhood epilepsy, childhood & juvenile absence epilepsy, infantile spasms known as West Syndrome, juvenile myoclonic epilepsy, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, and temporal lobe epilepsy.
Just because a person has a seizure does not mean they have epilepsy, there are different reasons a person can have a seizure. A few of the cases can be fever, fainting, poisoning, drug withdrawal, and alcohol withdrawal to name a few.
Diagnosing epilepsy
When diagnosing epilepsy the goal is to determine the type of seizures a person may be having as well as the cause of the seizures. The various factors that a physician will need to diagnose epilepsy is by first learning more about the seizures, giving a complete physical exam, complete neurological exam including reflexes, eyesight, hearing, muscle strength, and the ability to detect sensations. In the majority of cases an electroencephalogram or EEG test will be performed. This test measures the electrical impulses in the brain.
Treatments for epilepsy
Epilepsy is normally treated with medication to control the seizures. The classic medicines often prescribed include Dilantin or Phenytek, Phenobarbital, Tegretol or Carbatrol, Mysoline, Zarontin, Depakene, Depakote, and Depakote ER. Today, other drugs that are now being prescribed include Felbatol, Gabitril, Keppra, Lamictal, Neurontin, Topamax, Trileptal, and Zonegran.
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