Seizure
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Approximately two million Americans have experienced a seizure or been diagnosed with epilepsy. A person with epilepsy has seizures more than once because of a brain disorder. Seizures are abnormal electrical activity in the brain that can cause a person to have uncontrolled movements or feelings. Non-epileptic seizures often look and feel the same, but are not caused by electrical changes in the brain. Approximately 20 percent of people treated in epilepsy centers actually have non-epileptic seizures. Non-epileptic seizures may have physiological or psychological causes. Seizures and epilepsy are not well understood by medical experts. Approximately half of all seizures are due to an unknown cause, while the other half are caused by brain injury or disease.
There are more than 32 types of seizures that a person may experience. Most seizures last only a few seconds to a few minutes and stop by themselves. In more rare cases, seizures can last longer, and often require medical attention. Seizures may be limited to one area of the brain causing a person to suddenly feel a certain emotion or experience a sudden sensation. Other seizures may cause a person to lose consciousness, fall, lose balance or vision, have muscle jerks and spasms, and become disorientated or lose contact with reality.
While the exact cause of seizures is often unknown, there are some known causes and risk factors for seizures. Non-epileptic seizures may be caused by physiological factors, like changes in heart rhythm, sudden drops in blood pressure, or low blood sugar, or because of psychological factors like emotional trauma and stress. Epileptic seizures can be caused by defects in brain "wiring" during development or brain damage during development because of infection, poor nutrition, or poor oxygen supply. Head injury, such as an accident or stroke could increase the likelihood that a person will develop seizures. Disease of the brain, like meningitis, may also be responsible for seizures. Poisoning of the brain from carbon monoxide or lead can also cause seizures.
Use of illicit drugs, such as heroine, GHB, and cocaine may cause hypoxia-related and other types of seizures. Certain medications can also cause seizures. Anti-depressants, other psychotropic medications, lidocaine, insulin, isoniazid, and other drugs may cause seizures. Alcohol can also increase a person's risk of suffering seizures.
When a person suffers seizures, their physician may perform a number of tests to determine the patient's condition including blood tests, an EEG, an MEG, and more. If the patient is experiencing epileptic seizures, the doctor may prescribe anti-epileptic drugs. Though these medications can control seizures in approximately 80 percent of all patients, they may cause side effects like weight gain, fatigue, dizziness, and depression.
People who have seizures may be limited in the activities and types of work that are safe for them to perform. Things like flying an airplane, motor racing, mountain climbing, and even driving a car may not be safe activities for a person with epileptic seizures.
