Seizures

Seizures

What are Seizures?

• The electrical activity is caused by complex chemical changes that occur in nerve cells.
• Brain cells either excite or inhibit (stop) other brain cells from sending messages. Usually there is a balance of cells that excite and those that can stop these messages. However, when a seizure occurs, there may be too much or too little activity, causing an imbalance between exciting and stopping activity. The chemical changes can lead to surges of electrical activity that cause seizures.
• Seizures are not a disease in themselves. Instead, they are a symptom of many different disorders that can affect the brain. Some seizures can hardly be noticed, while others are totally disabling.

What are the symptoms of Seizures?

You can experience both partial and generalized seizures at the same time, or one can precede the other. The symptoms can last anywhere from a few seconds to 15 minutes per episode.

Sometimes, symptoms occur before the seizure takes place. These include:

• a sudden feeling of fear or anxiousness
• a feeling of being sick to your stomach
• dizziness
• a change in vision
• a jerky movement of the arms and legs that may cause you to drop things
• an out of body sensation
• a headache

Symptoms that indicate a seizure is in progress include:

• losing consciousness, which is followed by confusion
• having uncontrollable muscle spasms
• drooling or frothing at the mouth
• falling
• having a strange taste in your mouth
• clenching your teeth
• biting your tongue
• having sudden, rapid eye movements
• making unusual noises, such as grunting
• losing control of bladder or bowel function
• having sudden mood changes

What are the causes of Seizures?

Seizures can stem from a number of health conditions. Anything that affects the body also may disturb the brain and lead to a seizure. Some examples include:

• alcohol withdrawal
• bites
• stings
• a brain infection, such as meningitis
• a brain injury during childbirth
• a brain defect present at birth
• choking
• drug abuse
• drug withdrawal
• an electrolyte imbalance
• electric shock
• epilepsy
• extremely high blood pressure
• a fever
• head trauma
• kidney or liver failure
• low blood glucose levels
• a stroke

Seizures can run in families. Tell your doctor if you or anyone in your family has a history of seizures. In some instances, especially with young children, the cause of the seizure may be unknown.

How is Seizurestreated?

Treatments for seizures depend on the cause. By treating the cause of the seizures, you may be able to prevent future seizures from occurring. The treatment for seizures due to epilepsy include:

• medications
• surgery to correct brain abnormalities
• nerve stimulation
• a special diet, known as a ketogenic diet

With regular treatment, you can reduce or stop seizure symptoms.

Disclaimer

This article is for information only and should not be used for the diagnosis or treatment of medical conditions. Doctors Catalog has used all reasonable care in compiling the information but makes no warranty as to its accuracy. Consult a doctor or other health care professional for diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions. In the event of an emergency, please call 108 for immediate assistance.