Welcome to Epilepsy Warriors - Your Source for Epilepsy Information

HOW EPILEPSY IS DIAGNOSED? 

WHEN REFERRED FOR POSSIBLE DIAGNOSIS YOU OR A FAMILY MEMBER MAY BE ASKED TO RECORD INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR SEIZURES, PRE-SEIZURE SYMPTOMS, POST-SYMPTOMS ASWELL AS THE SEIZURES THEMSELVES A NEUROLOGIST OR EPILEPTOLOGIST WILL REVIEW
YOUR MEDICAL HISTORY.
MRI, EEG, SLEEP DEPRIVATION TESTING.


ALL OF THIS INFORMATION COMBINED WILL HELP TO DETERMINE IF YOU HAVE EPILEPSY AND WHAT TYPE YOU HAVE.

Types of Seizures

Absence seizures:
What Absence Seizures (Petit-Mal) may look like:
¤ Staring blankly and unresponsive
¤ Look like the person is "Daydreaming" this can look like the person is smiling, crying, fearful or blank expression etc
¤ Fluttering of the eyes
¤ Lip smacking
¤ Make Jerking movements or repetive movement of the body or limbs
¤ Loss of conciousness

 

Complex Partial (Focal) Seizures:
¤ Feeling of aura sometimes come prior to this type of seizure as an indicator
¤ Smacking of the lips
¤ Making random noises (crying, screaming, moaning, laughing, repetitive speech)
¤ Moving your arms around
¤ Picking at clothes or fiddling with objects
¤ Removing clothing
¤ Head rolling
¤ Chewing or Swallowing
¤ Repetitve movement of the legs and/or arms as if a cycling or swimming motion
¤ Unresponsive during seizure

Myoclonic seizures:
Sudden Jerks or twitches in some or all of the body like an electric shock, they often occur after waking from sleep and the person can remain concious during the seizure. These types of seizures can occur in a variety of different epilepsy syndromes.

Tonic seizures:

Causes all the muscles in the body to suddenly become stiff like the first stage of a tonic-clonic seizure. If a tonic seizure occurs whilst awake it can make someone lose balance and fall over. The stiffness typically last for seconds to minutes but this can vary and usually a tonic seizure occurs during sleep.

Clonic seizures:

Causes the body to shake or jerk like a tonic-clonic seizure but stiffness in the body does not occur in a clonic seizure, typically this type of seizure lasts for a few minutes and loss of conciousness can occur. A clonic seizure can begin in one area of the brain (called focal motor) or affect both sides of the brain (called generalized clonic.)

Atonic seizures:

Causes all muscles in the body to suddenly relax which usually results in a person falling suddenly to the ground unless seated or laid down. Atonic seizures tend to be very brief and the person usually remains concious but this can vary. The head may drop and the eyelids may droop and they may drop anything they were holding.

 

Treatment for epilepsy 

Treatment can help most people with epilepsy have fewer seizures, or stop having seizures completely.

Treatments include:

  • medicines called anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs)
  • surgery to remove a small part of the brain that's causing the seizures
  • a procedure to put a small electrical device inside the body that can help control seizures
  • a special diet (ketogenic diet) that can help control seizures

Some people need treatment for life. But you might be able to stop if your seizures disappear over time.

What are the common triggers for seizures?
Common triggers for seizures include stress, lack of sleep, flashing lights, and certain medications. It's important to identify your triggers and take steps to avoid them.

How can you support someone during a seizure?
During a seizure, stay calm, keep the person safe, and do not restrain them. After the seizure, offer reassurance and support as needed.