Epilepsy

Epilepsy is a Brain disorder characterized by electric-like disturbances; may include occasional impairment or loss of consciousness, abnormal motor phenomena and psychic or sensory disturbances. These reactions are called Seizures.

What causes Epilepsy?

No one knows what causes the seizures, but, some conditions we know that cause seizures are fever, stroke, brain tumor, infections, traumatic injury and poisoning.

Seizures

Seizures are a sudden attack of electrical impulses in the brain causing the body to react. It can be as mild as a blank stare to a violent, uncontrollable shaking of the body, depending on how bad the seizure attacks the brain. When seizures happen repeatedly in a pattern, the condition is diagnosed as Epilepsy

There are two types of seizures:

1. Generalized Seizures
2. Partial Seizures

Generalized Seizures

The Generalized Seizure attack spreads on the entire brain causing the entire body to react in a certain way.

• Grand Mal seizures are violent and are characterized by the person falling to the ground and losing consciousness. The body begins to get stiff and start to spasm uncontrollably. Tong biting, heavy breathing, turning bluish in color and bowel/bladder accidents occur
• Petit Mal seizures are milder. The person may sit still show a brief change in level of consciousness like a blank stare, blinking, rolling of the eyes, small mouth movements or simply just not responding to anyone. They last only 1 –10 seconds but can happen up to 100 times a day. After the seizure occurs, the person continues what s/he was doing and completely unaware of the seizure occurrence.

Partial Seizures

This type of seizure happens when only a part of the brain is attacked. The body is going to react depending on which part of the brain is stimulated.

• Simple Partial seizure is characterized when part of the body, such as, a hand or a foot, begin to stiffen and have jerky movements. A tingling sensation may also be felt. Other symptoms, unrelated to bodily movements, maybe experienced such as hallucinations, flashing lights, complaining of a bad smell, or the room spinning.
• Complex Partial seizures happen when a person does things that have no real purpose such as picking at clothes, wandering aimlessly, lip smacking, chewing without food or just blabbering without making sense. S/he may look like the person has been drinking alcohol or maybe heavily drugged and may mistakenly be identified that way. This may last 1 to 20 minutes and afterwards, they usually have no recollection of what just happened.

Diagnosing Epilepsy

There are tests that can tall if a person has a seizure disorder. Some are EEG, CAT scan, MRI, blood levels test to measure calcium and blood sugar, skull x-rays, lumbar puncture, brain scan and cerebral angiography. These tests are to determine if those add behaviors may indeed be caused by seizure activity, or by something else.

How can you prevent seizures?

The causes are unknown and are not preventable, the best thing to do is to take steps that may prevent them, such as, pregnant women not taking drugs or alcohol, using safety precautions and equipment to avoid head injury, and not being around toxic materials.

Major source of seizures in children are febrile seizures, caused by fevers at 101 degrees or above. The attack is more likely to happen when the body can no longer cool itself. You can help by bathing in cool water or placing ice packs against the forehead, neck, armpits and between the legs. If the person has a viral infection, be sure prescribed medication are taken as directed, since the virus may be causing the fever.

Treatment

Medication is the first choice in treatment for seizures. Anticonvulsants medications can control or minimize seizure attacks. These drugs are divided in smaller groups:

• Barbiturates – decrease seizure activity in the whole brain.
• Benzodiazepins – help decrease anxiety
• Hydantoins –prevent seizures from spreading through parts of the brain controlling body movement
• Succinimides –decrease the strength and frequency of the seizures.

Surgery would be the last resort if medication does not improve the seizures. If must be used, doctors remove the part of the brain suspected of causing the attacks. Some times may be a tumor, pus build-up, cyst or abnormal bleeding that causes the seizures and must be surgically removed.

How we address the needs of these consumers

• We diligently monitor the consumers medication, doctor's appointments and seizure activity.
• We give them safety precautions on what they need to be aware of in their surroundings like using hand rails on stairs.
• We assist them on acquiring Life-Line Support and also to get an ID bracelet, which is important in case of an emergency