Helpful Information
What is Epilepsy?
Technically epilepsy is diagnosed when a person has 2 or more seizures. A seizure disorder – epilepsy- implies a disruption of the normal pattern of chemical/electrical impulses emitted from the brain during normal functioning. There are many types of epilepsy and they are defined based on the patient’s clinical history and patterns identified from electro-encephalogram (EEG).
Why does it happen?
Anything that disrupts the normal impulses from the brain can make a person at greater risk for seizures. Examples include: high fever, head injury, abnormally low oxygen in the blood (and brain), some strokes and congenital defects. A persons seizures may be hardly noticeable-like they’re just “spaced out” for a few seconds, or they have odd sensations.
What can I do?
There are medications and other treatments available to control seizure. Though seizures don’t usually cause brain injury, it’s important to treat them because the brain doesn’t function efficiently if the seizures are not controlled.