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Seizures.

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Seizures/Epilepsy Epilepsy occurs as a result of abnormal electrical activity in the brain. Brain cells communicate by sending electrical signals in an orderly pattern. In epilepsy, these electrical signals become abnormal, giving rise to an "electrical storm" that produces seizures. These storms may be within a specific part of the brain or may be generalized, depending on the type of epilepsy. Epilepsy is the oldest-known brain disorder; in the early ages people did not understand the causes, people often thought that it was a demon possession. It was not until the late 1880s that the disease was correctly identified. Dr. John Jackson, a famous English neurologist, was the first person to correctly determine the characteristics of epilepsy. (EHow) Epilepsy in America is growing, is it that more people are having seizures, or diagnosis is just getting better? 1 in 26 Americans will develop epilepsy in their lifetime. An estimated 3 million Americans and 65 million people worldwide currently live with epilepsy. Each year at least 200,000 people are diagnosed with epilepsy. In two-thirds of patients diagnosed with epilepsy, the cause is unknown. Doctors still can't find why people have epilepsy, some doctors believe that it is not hereditary but many do. In most cases, about 8 out of 10 people their epilepsy is unknown. This is because epilepsy runs in many families and seems to be passed down generation by generation. Although some doctors believe epilepsy is not hereditary, some people have epilepsy and no one in there family has it. The only problem with this is, they can't find anything in common with people that have epilepsy. Not everyone that has epilepsy has the same abnormal brain patterns, there is nothing to that links epilepsy or where it comes from. Often the cause of a seizure is unknown. Many conditions can provoke seizures, including:
Stroke
Brain tumors
Head injuries
Electrolyte imbalance
Very low blood sugar
Use of drugs such as cocaine and her ion
Cancer brain infections, such as meningitis
Repetitive sounds or flashing lights, such as in video games and strobe lights
Medications, such as antipsychotics and some asthma drugs
Withdrawal from medications, such as Xanax, narcotics, or alcohol
Although you can still have seizures, doctors have found that many people have not had seizures until they encounter something from the list above. A doctor that specializes in seizures and epilepsy is called a neurologist. The neurologist will look at your past medical records, will do a physical and neurological examination of muscle strength, reflexes, eyesight, hearing, and ability to detect various sensations. A blood test to measure red and white cell counts, blood sugar, blood calcium and electrolyte levels. After those are taken, the patient will be taken in for a electroencephalogram test (EEG), which measures electrical impulses in the brain. The neurologist may ask to do a sleep deprived EEG, which means no sleep for 24 hours, then the EEG will be preformed. The reason for the sleep deprived test is because when the test is preformed, the patient will fall into a deep sleep to see different brain waves. If they find something abnormal they will call it a “electrical storm” that produces epilepsy. Not all people that have seizures have epilepsy. Non-epileptic seizures are known as pseudo-seizures, these are not accompanied by abnormal electrical activity in the brain and may be caused by psychological issues or stress. However, non-epileptic seizures look like true seizures, which makes diagnosis difficult. Normal EEG readings and lack of response to epileptic drugs are clues that they are not true epileptic seizures. These types of seizure may be treated with psychiatric medications. (Devinsky) Some people are aware of the beginning of a seizure, possibly as much as hours or days before it happens. On the other hand, some people may not be aware of the beginning and therefore have no warning. Some people may experience feelings, sensations or changes in behavior hours or days before a seizure. These feelings are generally not part of the seizure, but may warn a person that a seizure may occur. Not everyone may experience these signs, which are an indication that may help a person change their activities. An aura or warning is the first symptom of a seizure, often the aura is an unrecognizable feeling. Other times it’s easy to recognize and may be a change in feeling, sensation, thought, or behavior that is similar each time a seizure occurs. The middle of a seizure is often called the ictal phase. It’s the period of time from the first symptoms to the end of the seizure activity, This correlates with the electrical seizure activity in the brain. Sometimes the visible symptoms last longer than the seizure activity on an EEG. This is because some of the visible symptoms may be after effects of a seizure or not related to seizure activity at all. As the seizure ends, it is the recovery period. Some people recover immediately while others may take minutes or hours to feel normal. The type of seizure often depends on what part of the brain the seizure affects, the recovery period depends on what occurs during the seizure. If someone is seen having a seizure, holding them down is not will not help. You should do the following:
Roll the person on his or her side to prevent choking on any fluids or vomit.
Cushion the person's head.
Loosen any tight clothing around the neck.
Keep the person's airway open. If necessary, grip the person's jaw gently and tilt his or her head back.
Do NOT restrict the person from moving unless he or she is in danger.
Do NOT put anything into the person's mouth, not even medicine or liquid.
Remove any sharp or solid objects that the person might be injured from.
Note how long the seizure lasts and what symptoms occurred so this information can passed on to medical personal.
Stay with the person until the seizure ends.
Shut the lights off if possible.
Call 911 If:
The person is pregnant or has diabetes.
The seizure happened in water.
The seizure lasts longer than 5 minutes.
The person does not begin breathing again or does not return to consciousness after the seizure stops.
Another seizure starts before the person regains consciousness.
The person becomes injured during the seizure.
This is a first seizure, check to see if the person has a medical identification card or jewelry stating that they have epilepsy or a seizure disorder. Contact family.
After the seizure ends, the person will probably be groggy and tired. He or she also may have a headache and be confused or embarrassed.
If someone is having a non-convulsive seizure, remember that the person's behavior is not intentional.
The person may wander aimlessly or make alarming or unusual gestures. It may be helped by following these guidelines:
Don't try to stop the person from wandering unless he or she is in danger
Don't shake the person or shout
Stay with the person until he or she is completely alert. Living with epilepsy can be very hard, children can struggle with many things that a normal child would not. Children often have trouble remembering things and learning new things. Seizures can effect school work, they may not be able to learn as fast and they might have trouble concentrating. The kind of seizure diagnosed will determine how the individual will learn and how they will be effects. Teenagers that are still having seizures, their driving privileges may be revoked. They must not driving for six months from the date of the seizure, and tell the DVLA ( The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency). They may be allowed to start driving again after six months if they have had no further seizures and there are no clinical factors or results from investigation which suggest a high risk of having another seizure. (DVLA) How can seizures affect memory? This could happen with any type of seizure, id seizures often occur, patients may find that their memory is affected often. . For example, a seizure in the left temporal lobe of the brain may cause someone to for get words, and sound. Seizures in the right temporal lobe may mean it is hard to find you way around a new place. Seizures in the frontal lobe may mean that it is hard to remember future tasks. They might also find that just after a seizure you have problems remembering information and it may take time to recover. For 70% of patients with epilepsy, drugs can control seizures. However, they can't cure epilepsy, and most people will need to continue taking medications. For some patients doctors recommend surgery, normally surgery is recommend for children that have epilepsy. They recommend this because the younger the patient is may require less recovery time. Neurologist also believe it’s better for children because then they don't have to worry about any medicine or a seizure occurring. The remaining percentage medicine can not control the epileptic seizures, and surgery is the only option. After the surgery the doctors will monitor their recovery. The first few days they may feel very tired and need to sleep, as it can take a while for the anesthetic to completely wear off. Some people who have brain surgery will have seizures within the first week of surgery but this doesn’t mean the surgery has not been successful. Seizures after surgery can happen because of the direct stress the brain experiences in surgery, rather than because a person has a history of epilepsy. How long the patient will be admitted in the hospital depends on the type of surgery they have had and how the doctors feel they are recovering. Generally the doctors might expect them to be back to their normal activity about six weeks after your surgery. (Campellone) After surgery and medications are administered patients are on their way to a positive recovery. Chances of a reoccurring seizure after surgery is highly unlikely. Medications that need to be taken as prescribed may have positive results.

Works Cited Campellone, Joseph V. "Seizures: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia." U.S National Library of Medicine. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 9 July 2014. Web. 13 July 2014
Devinsky, Orrin. "Epilepsy Foundation." Non-Epilepsy Seizures. Epilepsy Foundation, 1 Jan. 2013. Web. 16 July 2014
"DVLA Terminology about Epilepsy." DVLA Terminology. Epilepsy Society, 4 Mar. 2013. Web. 16 July 2014.
Ko, David Y. "Epilepsy and Seizures Clinical Presentation." Epilepsy and Seizures Clinical Presentation. N.p., 18 Jan. 2014. Web. 16 July 2014.
Schachter, Steven C. "Epilepsy Foundation." Seizure and Epilepsy Medicines. Epilepsy Foundation, 7 July 2013. Web. 16 July 2014. "Seizures Overview: What Are Seizures? What Causes Them?" WebMD. WebMD, Apr.-May 2005. Web. 16 July 2014.
Sirven, Joseph I. "Epilepsy Foundation." What Is Epilepsy? Epilepsy Foundation, 1 Jan. 2014. Web. 16 July 2014.
"Who Discovered Epilepsy?" EHow. Demand Media, 24 Nov. 2008. Web. 16 July 2014.

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