Epileptic Seizures

Hello everyone, today I am going to tell you about the four main types of epilepsy seizures.

Starting with the type of seizure most people thing of when they think of an epileptic seizure.

This seizure is now called a Generalised tonic-clonic seizure, it was once known as a grand mal seizure and are the most recognised.

The seizure starts with a sudden loss of consciousness. The person’s body then becomes stiff, followed by jerking of the muscles. They also may turn red or blue, bite their tongue and lose control of their bladder.

When they regain consciousness the suffered may be confused, drowsy or agitated, it is not uncommon for them to not remember what happened and have a headache.

Next, we have absence seizures, these are the type of seizure my nephew Dawson suffers from. They used to be known as petit mal seizures they usually start in childhood but can happen in adults as well. They are brief and involve staring, loss of expression, unresponsiveness and stopping activity. Sometimes eye blinking or upward eye movements are seen. The person usually recovers straight away and continues their previous activity, without remembering the seizure.

There is also something called focal seizures, previously known as ‘partial seizures’, these start in one area of the brain and affect the parts of the body controlled by that area of the brain. The seizure may involve unusual movements, feelings, sensations, or behaviours. People can have different levels of consciousness during focal seizures.

Lastly there are febrile convulsions are seizures are associated with an illness causing a fever, such as a viral infection. They are generally harmless and do not require special or long-term treatment. Febrile convulsions are common, happening in about 3 in 100 healthy children up to 6 years old.

If they don’t have any additional risk factors for epilepsy, children who have febrile convulsions have a similar risk of developing epilepsy to the rest of the population.

Sometimes people with epilepsy may have changes in their behaviour. They also may have symptoms of psychosis.

Most people with epilepsy tend to have the same type of seizure each time. Symptoms are usually similar from episode to episode.

Some people with focal seizures have warning signs in the moments before a seizure begins. These warning signs are known as aura.

Warning signs might include a feeling in the stomach. Or they might include emotions such as fear. Some people might feel deja vu. Auras also might be a taste or a smell. They might even be visual, such as a steady or flashing light, a colour, or a shape. Some people may experience dizziness and loss of balance. And some people may see things that aren’t there, known as hallucinations.

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Epilepsy

This week I am going to share a little about the condition Epilepsy, my nephew Dawson has this condition.

Epilepsy happens as a result of abnormal electrical brain activity, also known as a seizure, kind of like an electrical storm inside the head. And because the brain controls so much, a lot of different things can go wrong. Suffers may have periods of unusual behaviours, feelings and sometimes loss of awareness.

Epilepsy may occur as a result of a genetic disorder or an acquired brain injury, such as a trauma or stroke. Other brain related causes are things like meningitis, encephalitis or a brain abscess. Then there are brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s. It is also believed that alcohol or drug use as well as high or low blood sugar levels.

In fact, in around half of all cases the cause is unknown. It may take years after an injury for seizures to develop.

During a seizure, a person experiences abnormal behaviour, symptoms and sensations, sometimes including loss of consciousness caused by fainting. It isn’t uncommon to see the suffers having rhythmic muscle contractions or muscle spasms. Some people say they experience an aura or the sensation of pins and needles.

Also common: seizures, amnesia, anxiety, depression, headache, sleepiness, staring spells, or temporary paralysis after a seizure.

After a seizure the person may feel really tired.

Most people have none or only a few symptoms between seizures.

Epilepsy is usually treated by medication and in some cases by surgery, devices or dietary changes.

You should see a doctor this is your first seizure, or you have repeated seizures, you have seizures more often than is normal for you, you are not sure if you’ve had a seizure or if you have a diagnosis of epilepsy but feel like your medicine is not helping.

You should seek medical attention after a seizure if you are injured, if you are pregnant or have diabetes.

Next week I will post about the different types of seizures.