Epilepsy 101

Epilepsy is a neurological condition characterized by seizures, which are a brief but strong surge of electrical activity in the brain. For that reason, epilepsy is also known as a seizure disorder. Some seizures last a few seconds while others last a few minutes. There are several different types of seizures, and they affect people in different ways.

Epilepsy and Seizure Characteristics
Common seizure symptoms are convulsions or shaking, and even total loss of consciousness, but in some cases a person who is having a seizure simply stares off into space, has the inability to speak, smacks the lips, or experiences jerking movements of the arms or legs. Seizures are different from person to person, and people with epilepsy can experience multiple types of seizures.

Epilepsy Facts and Figures
According to the Epilepsy Foundation, nearly 3 million Americans of all ages, shapes, and sizes are affected by epilepsy. The Foundation also estimates that approximately 200,000 new cases of epilepsy are diagnosed each year. A person is typically diagnosed with epilepsy once he or she has had two or more unprovoked seizures—in some cases, seizures occurs due to things like birth defects, stroke, brain damage from a car accident, brain tumors, head injuries, or even reactions to particular drugs, but in many cases the seizures are unprovoked.

Epilepsy Treatments
When someone first experiences a seizure, he or she will probably visit a neurologist for an evaluation. Because epilepsy is a complicated neurological condition, the patient will probably be asked a wide variety of questions and undergo testing such as an electroencephalogram (EEG) to monitor the brain’s electrical activity.

Although there is no cure for epilepsy, there are several medications on the market that help patients control their seizures. Epilepsy Advocate explains that in some cases, patients may even have to take more than one medication, which is known as “add-on treatment” or “adjunct therapy.” Patients may have to try several different medications before they find one that works best at controlling their seizures. This can be a long and stressful process.

Brain surgery is another option when it comes to controlling epilepsy. During epilepsy surgery, seizure-producing areas of the brain are removed from patients whose seizures are not controlled well by medication. Although much riskier than taking a medication, surgery may be a good option for patients whose uncontrolled seizures are caused by brain abnormalities.

Video EEG Monitoring
The Neuroscience Center at Plaza Medical Center of Fort Worth offers 24-hour video-EEG monitoring in our Epilepsy Monitoring Unit. This allows our medical professionals to see what is happening during a seizure and record the patient’s brain activity at the same time.

For more information about seizure monitoring and other epilepsy services we offer, visit us online or contact us by phone at (817) 877-5292.

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