Seizures

  • 46 months ago
2 minute read.
Seizures

Overview:

Alternate Name/s:

* Non-epileptic seizures
* Provoked seizures
* Seizure disorder

Overview:

* Seizures are abnormal movements and behaviors that are due to some unusual electrical activity in the brain.
* Seizures are a symptom of epilepsy but not everyone who has seizures has epilepsy. There are different kinds of seizures that include non-epileptic seizures, provoked seizures and seizure disorder.
* Non-epileptic seizures are not associated with abnormal brain activity but could be because of psychological issues and stress.
* This type of seizure can be treated with psychiatric work. Provoked seizures are seizures that occur because of a trauma, low blood sugar, low sodium, alcohol or drug abuse or a high fever.
* Seizures that are fever related can occur in children from infancy to age six.

Seizure disorders are a condition where the seizures may be a symptom.
Symptoms:

General:

* A person that is having a seizure may make some kind of sound, stiffen up and make rhythmic movements in the arms and legs
* Eyes are usually open
* The person may appear like they are not breathing
* Returning to the state of consciousness is slow and should take place within a few minutes
* Loss of urine
* People are often confused
* Strange sensations
* Small repetitive movements
* Dazed, confused
* Impairment in consciousness
* Repetitive blinking

Other:

* Generalized seizures involve all areas of the brain and are often referred to as grand mal seizures.
* Partialseizures or focal seizures are when only part of the brain is involved and only part of the body is affected.
* The symptoms of these types of seizures may vary.
* Petit mal seizures are common in childhood and are generally brief.

Causes:

Epilepsy is a term that is used to describe the tendency to have seizures.

* It is usually diagnosed after a person has had more than one occurrence of a seizure.
* The causes of epilepsy usually come from some kind of injury to the brain.
* For a lot of people, the cause of their epilepsy is not known.
* Seizures occur when there is a burst of impulses in the brain that get out of their normal boundaries.
* They then spread around to other areas and make an uncontrolled series of electrical activity.
* The impulses can be sent to the muscles, which causes the twitching and convulsions.
* There are about 180,000 cases of epilepsy reported each year and about thirty percent of those cases are with children.

Some of the main causes of seizures and epilepsy include:

* Low oxygen during birth
* Certain head injuries that can occur during birth or from accidents
* Brain tumors
* Genetic conditions such as tuberous sclerosis
* Infections like meningitis and encephalitis
* A stroke or other kind of damage to the brain
* Abnormal amounts of substances like blood sugar or sodium
* Missing doses of medication
* Heavy use of alcohol
* Drug use
* Not enough sleep
* Taking other medicines that can interfere with medication for seizures

Risk Factors:

* Women are more likely to develop seizures
* Young children and the elderly are more prone to have seizures
* Chemical imbalances in the brain caused by trauma or genetics
* High blood sugar or sodium content

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