EPILEPSY
About Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a neurological disorder that causes seizures. It’s marked by chemical changes in the brain cells, or neurons, and how they send messages. The resulting imbalance of electrical activity in the brain leads to seizures.
About 1 in 26 people will develop epilepsy, including children and adults. Right now, 65 million people worldwide are afflicted by epilepsy, with about 3 million in the United States alone. Each year, another 150,000 people are diagnosed in the U.S. However, many people are never diagnosed, often because they do not attribute their symptoms to epilepsy.
Epilepsy is diagnosed based on seizures, typically two or more, that can’t be attributed to another cause. About 50 percent of people …show more content…
Doctors often diagnose epilepsy, also known as seizure disorder, with a psychoneurological evaluation or an EEG. Many medications can help control the symptoms and reduce the number and severity of seizures. For about one-third of people, no treatment works.
Some children outgrow epilepsy, while lots of people never show symptoms until they’re adults.
Although epilepsy is one of the most common disorders of the brain, there is no cure.
Resources: The Mayo Clinic, The Epilepsy Center at Johns Hopkins, The Epilepsy Foundation
Symptoms of Epilepsy
There are many different types of epilepsy and therefore many different symptoms of epilepsy. The symptoms can cause changes in behavior, senses, thoughts, and consciousness and may vary depending on the stage of the seizure: aura (beginning), ictus (middle, or attack), and postictal (end). Some of the most common symptoms during a seizure include:
Confusion
Loss of memory, consciousness, or awareness
Loss of hearing, speech, or vision
Blurry vision
Staring into space
Flashing lights
Blinking or lip smacking
Racing heartbeat
Trouble breathing
Loss of bodily functions
Uncontrollable jerking, tremoring, or shaking of the body or certain body parts …show more content…
This is common with glucose.
There are also many risk factors for epilepsy, including:
Age, particularly with adults over 65
Stroke, dementia, and heart problems
Brain infection, disease, or tumor
Head injury
Alcohol or drug use
Some medications
High fevers in childhood
Family history
If you have been diagnosed with epilepsy, you’ve probably noticed that certain sensations, stimuli, or events can trigger your seizures. Common epilepsy triggers include:
Falling asleep or waking up
Times of day (some seizures occur more often at night or during the day)
Lack of sleep, too much sleep, or abnormal sleeping habits
Stress
Fever or illness
Medications
Hormonal or metabolic changes
Specific or contrasting colors, patterns, or lights (such as flashing lights)
Certain smells or noises
Reading
Certain foods
Alcohol and tobacco
Poor diet
Knowing these triggers and recognizing the patterns can help people living with epilepsy reduce the number or severity of their seizures.
Resources: The Mayo Clinic, The Epilepsy Center at Johns Hopkins, The Epilepsy Foundation
About Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a neurological disorder that causes seizures. It’s marked by chemical changes in the brain cells, or neurons, and how they send messages. The resulting imbalance of electrical activity in the brain leads to seizures.
About 1 in 26 people will develop epilepsy, including children and adults. Right now, 65 million people worldwide are afflicted by epilepsy, with about 3 million in the United States alone. Each year, another 150,000 people are diagnosed in the U.S. However, many people are never diagnosed, often because they do not attribute their symptoms to epilepsy.
Epilepsy is diagnosed based on seizures, typically two or more, that can’t be attributed to another cause. About 50 percent of people …show more content…
Doctors often diagnose epilepsy, also known as seizure disorder, with a psychoneurological evaluation or an EEG. Many medications can help control the symptoms and reduce the number and severity of seizures. For about one-third of people, no treatment works.
Some children outgrow epilepsy, while lots of people never show symptoms until they’re adults.
Although epilepsy is one of the most common disorders of the brain, there is no cure.
Resources: The Mayo Clinic, The Epilepsy Center at Johns Hopkins, The Epilepsy Foundation
Symptoms of Epilepsy
There are many different types of epilepsy and therefore many different symptoms of epilepsy. The symptoms can cause changes in behavior, senses, thoughts, and consciousness and may vary depending on the stage of the seizure: aura (beginning), ictus (middle, or attack), and postictal (end). Some of the most common symptoms during a seizure include:
Confusion
Loss of memory, consciousness, or awareness
Loss of hearing, speech, or vision
Blurry vision
Staring into space
Flashing lights
Blinking or lip smacking
Racing heartbeat
Trouble breathing
Loss of bodily functions
Uncontrollable jerking, tremoring, or shaking of the body or certain body parts …show more content…
This is common with glucose.
There are also many risk factors for epilepsy, including:
Age, particularly with adults over 65
Stroke, dementia, and heart problems
Brain infection, disease, or tumor
Head injury
Alcohol or drug use
Some medications
High fevers in childhood
Family history
If you have been diagnosed with epilepsy, you’ve probably noticed that certain sensations, stimuli, or events can trigger your seizures. Common epilepsy triggers include:
Falling asleep or waking up
Times of day (some seizures occur more often at night or during the day)
Lack of sleep, too much sleep, or abnormal sleeping habits
Stress
Fever or illness
Medications
Hormonal or metabolic changes
Specific or contrasting colors, patterns, or lights (such as flashing lights)
Certain smells or noises
Reading
Certain foods
Alcohol and tobacco
Poor diet
Knowing these triggers and recognizing the patterns can help people living with epilepsy reduce the number or severity of their seizures.
Resources: The Mayo Clinic, The Epilepsy Center at Johns Hopkins, The Epilepsy Foundation