What is Epilepsy?
A neurological disorder that arises when the brain’s electrical impulses are interrupted, which causes physical changes in awareness, movement, and sensation. These physical changes are called seizures or seizure disorders. Epilepsy means unprovoked recurrent seizures.
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Seizure Disorders
There are many different forms of seizures, which are grouped into two major categories:
Generalized seizures which affect the whole brain:
- Tonic-clonic (Grand Mal) - a person undergoes convulsions which usually lasts from two to five minutes, with complete loss of consciousness and muscle spasms.
- Absence (Petit Mal) - a blank state, beginning and ending abruptly, lasting only a few seconds, most common in children.
- Myoclonic – a person has a brief, massive muscle jerk of the whole or part of the body and lasts one to two seconds.
- Tonic- the muscles go stiff for less than a minute, but there is not jerking movements.
- Atonic (Drop Attacks) – a person suddenly collapses due to brief loss of muscle tone. Seizure does not last more than 15 seconds.
Partial seizures which affect the part of the brain:
- Simple Partial - jerking begins in one area of the body while person remains awake and aware. Seizure does last for more than two minutes.
- Complex Partial (Psychomotor or Temporal Lobe) - usually starts with blank stare, followed by unusual repetitive actions, such as lip smacking, chewing, or picking at clothes. Person is unaware and unresponsive. Seizure usually lasts from thirty seconds to three minutes.
Causes
In up to 70% of cases the cause is unknown or idiopathic. Idiopathic causes are more common in children than in adults. Major head trauma is the leading known cause of seizures. Possible known causes of epilepsy are:
- Brain Injury
- Embryonic/fetal brain development problems
- Birth problems and injuries
- Certain infections (meningitis, viral encephalitis, mumps, measles)
- Head Trauma
- Drug/Alcohol abuse
- Stroke
- Brain Tumor
Triggers
Every person has a “seizure threshold” and under certain conditions, anybody can experience a seizure. Situations that can push a person over individual thresholds are called “triggers”. Common Seizure Triggers:
- Missed seizure medication
- Lack of sleep
- Drug/Alcohol Abuse
- Stress
- Hyperventilation
- Fever/cold
- Menstruation
Myths
- Epilepsy is not a contagious disease
- Epilepsy is not a curse
- A person CANNOT swallow their tongue during a seizure
- People with epilepsy are not usually developmentally challenged
- People with epilepsy are not violent or crazy
- People with epilepsy are not mentally ill
- Seizures do not cause brain damage
- Epilepsy is not necessarily inherited
- Epilepsy does not last a life time
- Epilepsy is not a barrier to success
Diagnosis
A doctor, neurologist or epileptologist can diagnose epilepsy. Physical and neurological exams help the doctor uncover any trace of epilepsy in the body. Evaluations performed include:
- Detailed and careful description of seizure
- Personal and family medical history
- Physical/neurological exam
- Laboratory tests (blood, urine, etc.)
- EEG, MRI, CT