It is important to take your medicine on time and as prescribed by your doctor. All medicines can have side effects. Talk with your healthcare provider about possible side effects. While you are taking medicine, you may need tests to see how well the medicine is working. You may have:. Blood tests. You may need blood tests often to check the level of medicine in your body. Based on this level, your healthcare provider may change the dose of your medicine.
You may also have blood tests to check the effects of the medicine on your other organs. Urine tests. Your urine may be tested to see how your body is reacting to the medicine. Electroencephalogram EEG. An EEG is a procedure that records the brain's electrical activity. This is done by attaching electrodes to your scalp. This test is done to see how medicine is helping the electrical problems in your brain.
This treatment sends small pulses of energy to the brain from one of the vagus nerves. This is a pair of large nerves in the neck. If you have partial seizures that are not controlled well with medicine, VNS may be an option.
VNS is done by surgically placing a small battery into the chest wall. Small wires are then attached to the battery and placed under the skin and around one of the vagus nerves. The battery is then programmed to send energy impulses every few minutes to the brain. When you feel a seizure coming on, you may activate the impulses by holding a small magnet over the battery. In many cases, this will help to stop the seizure.
VNS can have side effects such as hoarse voice, pain in the throat, or change in voice. Surgery may be done to remove the part of the brain where the seizures are occurring. Or the surgery helps to stop the spread of the bad electrical currents through the brain. Surgery for epilepsy seizures is very complex. It is done by a specialized surgical team. You may be awake during the surgery.
The brain itself does not feel pain. If you are awake and able to follow commands, the surgeons are better able to check areas of your brain during the procedure.
Surgery is not an option for everyone with seizures. A seizure occurs when one or more parts of the brain has a burst of abnormal electrical signals that interrupt normal signals.
Focal seizures result from abnormal electrical activity in one area of your brain. Focal seizures can occur with or without loss of consciousness:. Symptoms of focal seizures may be confused with other neurological disorders, such as migraine, narcolepsy or mental illness. Seizures that appear to involve all areas of the brain are called generalized seizures. Different types of generalized seizures include:. There is a problem with information submitted for this request.
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This message will include the latest treatment options, innovations and other information from our epilepsy experts. Nerve cells neurons in the brain create, send and receive electrical impulses, which allow the brain's nerve cells to communicate. Anything that disrupts these communication pathways can lead to a seizure. Some types of seizure disorders may be caused by genetic mutations. The most common cause of seizures is epilepsy. But not every person who has a seizure has epilepsy.
Sometimes seizures may be caused or triggered by:. The aura can also occur alone and may be called a focal onset aware seizure , simple partial seizure or partial seizure without change in awareness. An aura can occur before a change in awareness or consciousness. Yet, many people have no aura or warning; the seizure starts with a loss of consciousness or awareness. Common symptoms during a seizure. Common symptoms after a seizure.
Awareness, Sensory, Emotional, or Thought Changes : Slow to respond or not able to respond right away Sleepy Confused Memory loss Difficulty talking or writing Feeling fuzzy, lightlheaded, or dizzy Feeling depressed, sad, upset Scared Anxious Frustrated, embarrassed, ashamed Physical Changes : May have injuries, such as bruising, cuts, broken bones, or head injury if fell during seizure May feel tired, exhausted, or sleep for minutes or hours Headache or other pain Nausea or upset stomach Thirsty General weakness or weak in one part or side of the body Urge to go to the bathroom or lose control of bowel or bladder You are not alone.
Recommendations to Save Lives. Digital Self-Management Tool. Epilepsy Foundation My Seizure Diary. Authored By:. Genetic — information in the DNA in our cells that controls our characteristics, for example hair colour, sex and height. Your doctor or neurologist may be able to tell you what has caused your epilepsy, but this is not always possible.
Research continues into understanding more about why seizures happen in some people and not in others. You can also reach us by email helpline epilepsysociety. There are many different types of epileptic seizure. Any of us could potentially have a single epileptic seizure at some point in our lives. This is not the same as having epilepsy, which is a tendency to have seizures that start in the brain.
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