Medical Conditions Related to Brain Injury
Epilepsy
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What is Epilepsy?
More than 2.5 million Americans live with epilepsy, a neurological condition that makes people susceptible to seizures.
- Epilepsy is a common disorder affecting up to 1-2% of the population.
- Epilepsy is a physical condition caused by sudden, brief changes in how the brain works.
- Epilepsy occurs when nerve cells in the brain send electrical messages at a rate of up to four times higher than normal which causes a sort of electrical storm in the brain, known as a seizure or convulsion.
- A pattern of repeated seizure is referred to as epilepsy.
- There are a number of different types of epilepsy—each are defined by to the kind of seizure experienced.
- Convulsions affecting the whole body are called grand mal or generalized. Another term that is used is tonic-clonic seizures because there is jerking of the limbs (the clonic part of the term) alternating with spasm or rigidity of the limbs (tonic).
- Terms also used in the description of epilepsy refer to whether consciousness is lost or impaired, or not. When it is, they are sometimes called 'complex'; and 'simple' if consciousness is maintained.
- Usually in grand mal seizures people lose consciousness.
- Petit mal attacks are periods of brief absence that do not involve convulsions. They are commonly seen in children.
How do you get Epilepsy?
In approximately 60-75% of people with epilepsy, there is no known cause for the condition. Of the remaining population, frequently identified causes include:
- Brain injury to the fetus during pregnancy
- Birth trauma (lack of oxygen)
- Poisoning from substance abuse or environmental contaminants (lead poisoning)
- Aftermath of infection (meningitis)
- Head trauma (car accident, sports injury, shaken baby syndrome)
- Alteration in blood sugar (hypoglycemia)
- Other metabolic illness (hypocalcemia)
- Brain tumour
- Stroke
- Some people appear to inherit the tendency.
How serious is Epilepsy?
- Medication controls seizures for most patients, who are otherwise healthy and able to live full and productive lives.
How is Epilepsy treated?
Many seizure disorders are controlled by anti-seizure medications (sometimes called anti-convulsants or anti-epileptic drugs [AEDs]).
Monotherapy (using 1 drug), or polytherapy (using a combination of drugs) may be prescribed by your doctor.
Different types of seizures require different medications.
- 50% of seizures are eliminated by medication,
- 30% of seizures are reduced in intensity and frequency by medication,
- 20% of seizures are resistant to medication.
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