Seizures

What causes seizures?

Seizures occur when neurons (nerve cells) in your brain suddenly become overactive and release an abnormal wave of electrical activity. Though the electrical surge is temporary, the chaotic activity disrupts your brain and affects your behavior, movement, and senses.

Does having a seizure mean I have epilepsy?

Epilepsy is defined as having two or more unprovoked seizures. An unprovoked seizure is one that is not caused by a medical condition.

By comparison, a seizure can arise from many possible medical conditions, such as:

• High fever (common in children)
• Low blood sugar
• Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
• Imbalance of calcium or potassium
• Central nervous system infection
• Certain medications
• Autoimmune disorders
• Blood vessel conditions in the brain
• Inflammatory brain condition
• Brain tumor
• Stroke

You might have just one seizure, or several seizures caused by an underlying health problem. In either case, you don't have epilepsy.

What symptoms develop during a seizure?

Many people associate seizures with the classic image of losing consciousness, collapsing to the floor, and having muscle contractions that make the body jerk. But there are many different types of seizures, and each one causes different symptoms.

The range of seizure symptoms affecting children and adults includes:

• Weak or limp muscles
• Tense or rigid muscles
• Brief muscle twitches
• Convulsions (whole-body spasms)
• Repetitive movements
• Blanking out or staring into space
• Loss of consciousness
• Blurry vision or seeing flashes of light
• Rapid heartbeat
• Inability to hear or talk
• Numbness or tingling
• Feeling confused
• Out-of-body sensations

Most seizures are short-lived, lasting from 30 seconds to two minutes. If your seizure lasts five minutes or longer, you should seek emergency medical care.

How are seizures diagnosed?

Dr. Manohar performs an in-office electroencephalogram (EEG). This simple and painless test reveals brain wave patterns associated with seizures and may show the area of your brain where the seizure began.

Depending on your results, Dr. Manohar may order an MRI or CT scan to see if there are problems in your brain that could trigger a seizure.

How are seizures treated?

If you have an unprovoked seizure, your treatment targets the underlying condition. For epileptic seizures, Dr. Manohar creates a personalized treatment plan that may incorporate:

Identifying and treating triggers

Seizures often occur at certain times or in specific situations. A few examples of triggers include:

• Flashing lights
• Certain noises
• Stress
• Dehydration
• Skipping meals
• Specific foods
• Insomnia or sleep deprivation
• Heavy alcohol use

Dr. Manohar helps you identify the triggers and create a plan to avoid them, giving you more control over your seizures.

Medications

Dr. Manohar considers your age and the type of seizures you have and uses her experience to prescribe one of nearly 30 anticonvulsant medicines. These drugs work in different ways, but they generally control seizures by altering the electrical activity in neurons.

Neuromodulation

If medications don't help or stop working, Dr. Manohar may recommend neuromodulation. This treatment involves implanting devices that send small electrical impulses to precisely targeted nerves or brain areas. The controlled electrical stimulation reduces or stops seizures by regulating nerve activity.

Seizure alerts

Seizure alerts are often used for young children because the device detects signs of a seizure while your child sleeps. Then the device alerts parents or caregivers by sending an alarm, phone call, or text alert.

Ketogenic diet

This high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet can help control seizures in children and adults who didn't improve with medications.

Surgery

Epilepsy surgery works by removing the part of the brain where your seizures start or by cutting (disconnecting) the nerves that send seizure impulses.

If you have seizures, you deserve the exceptional care at Neuro Rehab & Pain Institute. Schedule an appointment today by calling or using the online booking feature.