Individuals who suffer from epilepsy are at the receiving end of physical as well as emotional trauma. The condition is one that can take the person’s life into turmoil. It is a disease that affects the central nervous system of the brain. Thus, causing the nerve cells give out wrong signals to the body.

Epileptic seizures are something that is a consequence of the condition. Constant seizures can leave a person depressed and feel a sense of withdrawal from the society. However, a little help from others can lighten the pain of going through the trauma of seizures. Here are few things that you can do if you come across someone going through an epileptic seizure.

Stay calm – Being present when a person is going through seizure can be traumatic for you as well. The seizure can indubitably look violent and dangerous but is not so in most cases. Panicking and losing you can lead to the scenario becoming even more worst. You will not be able to be of any assistance and further cause more difficulty to the person.

Time the seizure – It makes for a good idea to time the seizure. If you find that the seizure does not seem to stop and has continued beyond a few minutes, an emergency hospital or ambulance service should be contacted at once.

Move objects away – If you think that a person is undergoing a seizure, don’t allow for a chaos around the person. Move away from any objects such as furniture or ask people to step away. Being closely surrounded will further make the person feel claustrophobic.

Don’t force things down the victim’s mouth – One should not force any object inside the mouth of the victim as this can lead to the person injuring him/herself. It can also cause choking, further worsening the case. Leave the victim alone.

Protect from injury – Seizure can lead to violent behavior, wherein the person may loose complete control of one’s self. This could cause severe injury. Thus, you shouldn’t try to grab the victim, but gently hold him/her to stand and keep the person from falling. Guiding the person to the floor will further reduce the impact of the seizure.

Loosen the clothes – A victim is likely to run out of breath, so loosening clothing around the neck and waist will make him/her feel lighter. Also, lead the person to sit down in a safe area for a while.

Assist the victim – A person who suffers seizure will be confused and embarrassed as soon as she/he comes into consciousness. Reassure the victim that everything is okay and assist until you think he/she is safe.

Epilepsy not only causes physical trauma but can also cause seizures that make living a normal lifestyle difficult. Epilepsy is a condition in which the brain’s nervous system does not function in a normal manner. This means that the central nerve in the brain gives out wrong signal to the body. The leads to several undesirable functions that can not be controlled by an individual.

Seizures can go on for a few seconds to several minutes. While one person mere stare for a few seconds under seizure, another person may rub his/her hands to together. Seizures are uncontrollable and can further trigger several factors that can make the person very uncomfortable and frustrated. although , seizures can not be avoided, making a few changes to one’s lifestyle can lessen the severity of the condition. Here are a few factors that will help in controlling the quantity of the seizure.

Alcohol: Alcohol can cause severe damage to the body. Consuming too much of alcohol can lead to a seizure as it acts as stimulant. The intoxication caused by consumption of the drink can trigger a seizure that goes on for a long while. Moreover, alcohol is toxic and can worsen the condition of epilepsy in an individual. It is better to withdraw from the consumption of alcohol even when on epilepsy medication.

Sleep: Being sleep deprived can lead to lead to your body feeling extremely fatigued and tired. When your sleep cycle is disrupted, the seizure is likely to be influenced. Thus, it is important to maintain a healthy sleep pattern by retiring to bed on time and getting quality sleep.

Hormonal changes: Hormonal changes, especially in a woman’s body can influence the level of seizure as well. Women who are pregnant, menstruating, etc are at a risk of experiencing terrible seizures.

Smoking and drugs: Smoking and indulging in drugs is just not injurious to health but even cause and trigger seizure. Drugs and smoking also have an effect on the functioning of your your brain and can further weaken the nervous system.

Diet: Epilepsy patients are required to consume their meals on time. The food has to be healthy and should be as asked by the doctor. Skipping meals can lead to low blood sugar, thereby causing a seizure attack.

Environmental stimuli: Factors such as flashy lights, sun rays, loud music, etc can stimulate the brain. It is important to keep away from any such factors that can cause increase in the level of seizure.

Epilepsy is a dreaded disorder, especially since it is connected to the dysfunctioning of the brain. The brain plays a pivotal role in the functioning of the human body and any kind of issue can lead to severe complications. The disorder is related to the dysfunctioning of the central nervous system in the brain. When the nerve cells in the brain send out wrong signals to the body, the result may be moderate to severe seizure.

Seizures that are caused by epilepsy can disrupt the normal functioning of the body, thereby causing serious trouble to a patient. Here are some complications that can be caused due to epilepsy seizures.

Accidents – If a person with epilepsy is driving a vehicle, he/she can experience a sudden seizure that can cause loss of control. This can be a very dangerous situation for one’s self as well as for other drivers on the road. It is advisable to not take control of any vehicle or machine in order to avoid any such situation. Many states may restrict granting a license depending on the level of a seizure. You may not be allowed to drive if you are found to experience seizure that lasts for very long periods.

Pregnancy – A woman with epilepsy during the phase of her pregnancy is posed with the highest degree of risk. The seizure not only has an effect on the mother but is likely to affect the health of the baby as well. Moreover, certain medications that are consumed during pregnancy may cause birth defects in the baby. However, this may not always be the case and good care during pregnancy can lead to a safe delivery. A monitored pregnancy that is coupled with safe medication by the doctor will result in a healthy baby.

Mental trauma – A person who suffers from epilepsy is likely to slip into depression and go through anxiety issues. Extreme psychological problems can even cause one to withdraw from the society. The main reason being, coping up with the effects of the disorder as well as the side effects of the medicinal treatment.

Trip or Fall – Many times, people who experience sudden seizure may trip or suffer a fall. This can cause severe injuries in the head and also fracture bones.

Death – In a few cases, people suffering from epilepsy have died. The death is sudden and is unexplained. The reason behind this may be due to several factors such as those related to the heart or respiratory difficulty. The number isn’t very high and death occurs in a very rare case.

Epilepsy is a disorder of the brain that has consequences wherein a person suffers from seizures and periods of unusual behavior. It is particularly the disruption of the functioning of the nerve cell activity in the brain and can also lead to a loss of consciousness for long periods of time.

The seizure particularly takes place when the nerve cells in the brain send out the wrong signal to the body, thereby leading the body to behave in an unusual manner. The effect or the manner in which symptoms reflect will vary from one person to another. While some people may become very nervous and fidget with their fingers, others may behave strangely during sudden periods.

The cause of epilepsy remains unknown in most patients, however, some common factors may include – genetics that may run in the family. The genes will affect the type of seizure that the persons undergo, head injury during an accident and at any point in one’s life can trigger epilepsy. It is seen as one of the most common reasons, diseases that are infectious such as AIDS and meningitis may also lead to causing the disorder. Also, brain damage during birth can be a cause of epilepsy among children.

Although epilepsy can affect people from any age groups, younger kids and senior citizens are at a higher risk of being attacked by this disease. People who heart disease too may be at a risk of a stroke can trigger a sudden damage in the brain and thereby lead to epilepsy. Moreover, the family history plays a key role. If an immediate or close relative suffers from epilepsy, chances are that you may be at the risk of developing epilepsy.

It is important to see the doctor as soon as one is alarmed by a seizure. If you suffer from high fever followed by lack of consciousness, feel a sudden dizziness when involved in your daily activity, experience long periods of seizure, etc you have to seek medical help at the earliest. Parents should pay attention and carefully notice if there is any unusualness in the behavior of their kid.

If you are diagnosed with epilepsy, you will be required to undergo several tests in other to confirm the disorder. Blood tests may be the be the first, followed by several other examinations to check brain activity.

Once diagnosed, a patient will be treated with medication to bring the seizure under control. Although, most medicines have side-effects, taking a combination of medications can eventually result in a seizure-free life.

Almost any disorder that ails us can be treated. Being an earthling in the 21st century comes with its added benefits. Anything that affects us or interferes with the normal functioning of our bodies can be treated effectively. They don’t survive an onslaught of effective medications and succumb to it finally and thus, you can say “good riddance to bad rubbish.”

Epilepsy is a neurological condition that causes a sudden surge of electrical impulses in the brain, which cause epilepsy seizures symptoms to surface. Epilepsy seizure symptoms include loss of consciousness, sudden jerking movements of the limbs, staring into space, etc. You might have witnessed a loved one displaying epilepsy seizure symptoms and you are left wondering if it can ever be treated?

Here are some of the popular treatments for curing or controlling the occurrence of epilepsy seizure symptoms in an individual.

Anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs)- AEDs are the most commonly used method of treating epilepsy seizure symptoms. It cannot cure epilepsy but helps in preventing the occurrence of seizures. There are different forms of AEDs and your physician might recommend the drug based on several factors like your age, the frequency and intensity of the seizure, and whether the AEDs are compatible with your body. Most commonly used AEDs are carbamazepine, sodium valproate, lamotrigine, ethosuximide, etc.

Brain surgery- If your epilepsy seizure symptoms surface despite being treated with AEDs, then brain surgery is another option that you can opt for. You can visit an epilepsy center and after undergoing various scans and test, you would know whether you can undergo the surgery or not. The surgery is performed only if a single part of the brain causes these seizures and the removal of the same would not affect the normal brain activities. However, there’s a risk of experiencing a stroke after the surgery, but 70% of those who underwent this surgery lead a completely normal “epilepsy-free” life.

Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) and Deep brain stimulation (DBS)- If AEDs and brain surgery are not the ones for you, your doctor might suggest an alternative to these methods which includes VNS and DBS. The VNS is a procedure in which a small electrical device is placed under your skin, near the collarbone. This device is attached to a nerve in the left side of your body, called the vagus nerve, and passes regular dose of electricity to the brain which helps prevent the seizures. The DBS procedure involves implanting electrodes in certain parts of the brains to bring the abnormal electrical activity that results in a seizure.

These above-mentioned procedures might appear very intimidating, but would help you lead a normal life in the long run.

The human body can perform all its functions seamlessly when every organ of the body works in unison to perform the task. A slight change in the functions of the organ can disrupt the entire functioning of the body. Epilepsy seizures are a kind of disorder that occurs when we there is a problem in our brain’s electrical system. It is a neurological condition that causes seizures in the brains. It can occur for a variety of reasons: brain tumors, severe injuries to the head, cerebrovascular diseases, or at times, it is a hereditary disorder. You can conclude that the person is about to have a seizure if he shows the following epilepsy seizure symptoms”a temporary confusion, loss of consciousness, staring vacantly into the space, or uncontrollable jerking movements of the limbs.

Doctors have classified epilepsy seizures in different categories to aid the process of understanding it better. Here are the types of epilepsy seizures that have been outlined.

Focal seizures– When the seizure affects only a part of the brain and one can see epilepsy seizure symptoms surfacing, it is identified as focal seizures. Focal seizures are further classified into simple partial seizures and complex partial seizures. Simple partial seizures display epilepsy seizure symptoms but one does not lose consciousness here. Whereas, complex partial seizures display epilepsy seizure symptoms and the person loses consciousness while having a seizure.

Generalized seizures- When the seizure affects your entire brain and not a part of the brain, it is called generalized seizures. Generalized seizures are further divided into different categories. They are
a) Absence seizures– Also known as petit mal seizures, it usually affects children. This epilepsy seizure symptoms involves staring into a vacant space or jerking movements. Children can suffer brief loss of consciousness.

b) Tonic seizures– It involves the stiffening of our muscles and affects the muscles of our back, arms, and legs and can result in a sudden fall.

c) Atonic seizures– Here, the individual might lose control over his muscles completely and is prone to injuries if he falls.

d) Clonic seizures- This epilepsy seizure symptom shows constant jerking of muscles in the face, neck, and arms.

e) Myoclonic seizures- This seizure causes repetitive jerking movements in the arms and legs.

f) Toni-clonic seizures- This is a more severe kind of seizure where the individual loses consciousness, control over his muscle, and experiences repeated twitching of the muscles. Also, the person might lose control over his bladder as well.

Epilepsy seizures is a neurological disorder that must be treated. You can still lead a normal life even if you are suffering from it with the help of a good physician and proper treatment.