Some cases are difficult to treat, and those patients often consult with an epileptologist, a neurologist who specializes in epilepsy treatment.
Many people experience an aura before having a seizure. People with epilepsy report a variety of things that can trigger a seizure. They include:. Not all seizures are emergencies. To help someone having a seizure, focus on safety.
Give the person room, clear hard or sharp objects, and cushion the head. For milder seizures, like ones involving staring or shaking arms or legs, guide the person away from hazards—sharp objects, traffic, stairs. Stay until the person is aware of where he or she is and responds normally when spoken to.
Keep track of how long the seizure lasts. The CDC recommends calling if a seizure lasts more than five minutes or if the person gets injured during the seizure. Interestingly, some people can ward off a seizure by sniffing garlic or roses—any strong order can help. Confusion is extremely common prior to and following a seizure. The nature and extent of confusion is different for each patient. While someone may feel slightly unsettled, another patient may experience extreme confusion combined with sleepiness and daydreaming.
If you are susceptible to seizures, be hyper-aware of its patterns if they exist. People, situations, and things may start to look odd, and you may experience slight forgetfulness.
The seizure activity is limited to an isolated muscle group. For example, it may only include the fingers, or larger muscles in the arms and legs. You may also have sweating, nausea, or become pale. This type of seizure often occurs in the area of the brain that controls emotion and memory function temporal lobe.
You will likely lose consciousness. This may not mean you pass out. You may just stop being aware of what's going on around you. You may look awake, but have a variety of unusual behaviors. These may range from gagging, lip smacking, running, screaming, crying, or laughing. You may be tired or sleepy after the seizure.
This is called the postictal period. A generalized seizure occurs in both sides of the brain. You will lose consciousness and be tired after the seizure postictal state. Types of generalized seizures include:. This is also called petit mal seizure. This seizure causes a brief changed state of consciousness and staring. You will likely maintain your posture. Your mouth or face may twitch or your eyes may blink rapidly. The seizure usually lasts no longer than 30 seconds.
When the seizure is over, you may not recall what just occurred. You may go on with your activities as though nothing happened.
These seizures may occur several times a day. This is also called a drop attack. With an atonic seizure, you have a sudden loss of muscle tone and may fall from a standing position or suddenly drop your head. During the seizure, you will be limp and unresponsive. This is also called grand mal seizure. The classic form of this kind of seizure has 5 distinct phases.
Your body, arms, and legs will flex contract , extend straighten out , and tremor shake. This is followed by contraction and relaxation of the muscles clonic period and the postictal period. During the postictal period, you may be sleepy. You may have problems with vision or speech, and may have a bad headache, fatigue, or body aches.
Not all of these phases occur in everyone with this type of seizure. This type of seizure causes quick movements or sudden jerking of a group of muscles. These seizures tend to occur in clusters. This means that they may occur several times a day, or for several days in a row. Epilepsy may be caused by a combination of these. Your symptoms depend on the type of seizure. General symptoms or warning signs of a seizure can include:.
During the seizure, your lips may become tinted blue and your breathing may not be normal. After the seizure, you may be sleepy or confused. The symptoms of a seizure may be like those of other health conditions. Make sure to talk with your healthcare provider for a diagnosis. Your healthcare provider will ask about your symptoms and your health history. Lumbar puncture spinal tap , to measure the pressure in the brain and spinal canal and test the cerebral spinal fluid for infection or other problems.
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