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Seizures
About 1 in 10 people may have a seizure in their lifetime. Learn more about causes, symptoms, treatments, and what you can do to keep a person experiencing a seizure safe.
A seizure is the result of abnormal electrical activity in the brain. The severity, duration, and presentation of seizures may vary, which can make it difficult to distinguish seizure from other conditions without the help of a specialist. Some individuals who experience a seizure that are Doctor Information deeply may appear confused, others can fall and shake. Regardless of the severity of seizure, it can be extremely disconcerting to the person experiencing it and to those around them. Most seizure disorders can be controlled with medication. It is important to schedule a neurological consultation to manage seizures.
Causes
There are a number of factors that can cause seizures, some of which are still unknown. Often, we associate seizures with epilepsy, but they can be epileptic or non-epileptic in origin. Non-epileptic seizures can be caused by triggers such as high fever or case and something is Top USA Doctors Information List to metabolic disorders, and commonly occur after a stroke, a head injury, meningitis, or another illness. Most of the patients experiencing recurrent seizures, in the absence of triggers, are diagnosed with epilepsy.
Symptoms
Specific symptoms of a seizure can help medical professionals to diagnose the type of seizure you experienced. Most seizures last from 30 seconds to 2 minutes or longer. Seizures that last longer than 2 minutes require immediate medical attention. Common Best Neurologist in Nj signs of seizure may include:
Temporary confusion
A staring spell
Uncontrollable jerking movements of the arms and legs
Loss of consciousness or awareness
Cognitive or emotional symptoms, including fear and anxiety
Types of Seizures
Depending on how they start, seizures are generally described as being generalized onset or focal onset, simple or complex, and primary or secondary:
Generalized Onset Seizures – These seizures occur when the excess electrical activity occurs in both sides of the brain at once and without warning. Often, there is a genetic aspect to these types of seizures. Common subtypes of generalized seizures include:
Tonic-clonic (or grand mal) seizure: It’s the most common subtype. Arms and legs get stiff, and breathing may stop for a bit.
Focal Onset Seizures – These partial seizures only occur on one side of the brain and can be caused by a number of issues including injury, tumor, or a stroke.
Simple focal seizures: These seizures can cause twitching or cause a person to experience a strange taste or smell.
Complex focal seizures: These seizures can make a person appear confused and unresponsive for several minutes.
Secondary generalized seizures: These seizures spread from one side of the brain to both sides, and can last for several minutes.
The Phases of a Seizure
There are four generally recognized phases to a seizure: prodromal phase, aura, the ictal phase, and the post-ictal phase. Different seizures can affect people differently, varying in symptoms and progression of stages, with some individuals only experiencing some of the following:
1. Prodromal phase precedes a seizure. It is a subjective feeling that may occur several hours or days prior to a seizure. A person can experience confusion, anxiety, headache, tremor, and mood disturbances.
2. Many people may experience an aura - one of the earliest short-term signs of an impending seizure. Some symptoms of aura may include:
Vision loss or blurring
Flickering vision
Hallucinations
Déja vu (feeling of familiarity with a person, place, or thing without having experienced it)
Ringing or buzzing
Strange, offensive smells
Out-of-body sensation
Nausea/ stomach ache
Numbness
Tingling
Dizziness
Head, arm, or leg pain
Subtle arm or leg twitching
3. The ictal phase describes the time between the beginning and the end of the seizure. It may include the following symptoms:
Confusion
Memory lapses
Distractedness
Sense of detachment
Eye or head twitching movement in one direction
Inability to move or speak
Loss of bladder and/or bowel control
Pale/flushed skin
Hearing loss
Strange sounds
Vision loss, blurring, flashing vision
Chewing or lip-smacking
Unusual physical activity such as dressing/undressing
Walking/running
Pupil dilation
Difficulty breathing
Racing heart
Sweating
Tremors
Twitching
Arm or leg stiffening
Numbness
Drooling
4. There are often lingering symptoms after a seizure is over, comprising the post-ictal phase. Some individuals recover rather quickly while others take some time. Symptoms of the third phase of the seizure include:
Drowsiness
Confusion
Memory loss
Nausea
General malaise
Body soreness
Difficulty finding names or words
Headaches/migraines
Thirst
Arm or leg weakness
Hypertension
Feelings of fear, embarrassment, or sadness
Seizure First Aid
Call 911 and proceed to your nearest emergency room if at least one of these are true:
The person is experiencing a seizure for the first time
The person has difficulty breathing
The seizure lasts for more than several minutes
The person is experiencing multiple seizures
The person has a health condition such as diabetes, hypertension
Treatment of Seizure and Epilepsy
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發表於 2022-11-20 21:26:52