Most of the time when some hears the word seizure they think of a person convulsing and jerking around, with their eyes rolled back, maybe even foaming at the mouth and grunting, the truth is that is only one type of seizure. Most know that type as a Grand Mal seizure also known as a Tonic Clonic seizure. The Tonic part of the seizure is when a person's body stiffens the persons breathing may become shallow or stop all together and their face may become blue or grey in color. Then begins the clonic phase which the persons breathing will return but they begin to jerking. A person may bite their tongue or the inside of their mouth. Once the clonic phase has passed the person will be lethargic and tired even confused at times. They may possibly go straight to sleep following the seizure.
As I said though a Tonic Clonic seizure is only one type of seizure. There are four categories of seizures, Generalized seizures which include, Absence seizures, Myoclonic seizures, Tonic Clonic seizures, Clonic, Tonic and Atonic seizures. The next category of seizures is Partial seizures there are two types of partial seizures, Simple partial and Complex partial. I said in my last post that I was going to write about all the types of seizures since I started with explaining a Tonic Clonic "Grand Mal" seizure I will explain an Absence seizure.
Have you ever seen a person just stare off into space and blank out? Well most people do its called a day dream, but now have you ever called the person's name and not get a response from them until about the 20 or 30th time of calling their name? Did you know that could possibly be a seizure? That is what an Absence seizure looks like. A person just blanks out and stares off into space they may have some eye movement they last for a short time about 10-20 seconds and when a person comes out of them they go back to life as usual sometimes without even knowing it happened.
Another type of seizure is Myoclonic these are brief jerks in a muscle or muscles they last for a few seconds most people do have muscle jerks occasionally so don't worry if you do you don't need to pick up the phone and call a doctor. Those who have myclonic seizure experience the muscle jerks on both sides of their body at the same time. These types of seizure occur in a few types of epilepsy syndromes.
Atonic seizures are also know as drop seizures or drop spells, are just that. A person may appear fine one second and suddenly just fall to the ground. The word Atonic means "without" tone, so when a seizure occurs the person loses tone in their muscles and drops to the ground. These types of seizures last less than 15 seconds.
Tonic seizures are opposite of Atonic, a person may still fall down but the tone in their muscles is increased causing their body to stiffen. A person will remain conscious during these seizures and the seizure usually only last less than 20 seconds.
Clonic seizures are a rare type of seizure unlike Tonic-Clonic seizures. When they occure a person will have convulsions, rapid jerks of their muscles. They can vary on length but the person will not have stiffening of the body as they do in Tonic-Clonic seizures.
Simple Partial seizures vary from person to person so to explain these I am going to refer you to read about them on epilepsy.com http://www.epilepsy.com/EPILEPSY/seizure_simplepartial
If you would like to also learb about Complex Partial seizures Im also going to suggest you read about them at epilepsy.com http://www.epilepsy.com/EPILEPSY/SEIZURE_COMPLEXPARTIAL
If you want to learn more about the types of seizure I explained please feel free to go to www.epilepsy.com to read more.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
What is epilepsy
Some people have no clue what epilepsy is, in fact throughout history many myths have developed about it. What do you say we take a little quiz and see how much you know about it?
True or False: Epilepsy means a person is brain damaged or retarded and is different from a seizure disorder.
If you answered false you are correct the diagnosis of epilepsy is given to those who have a seizure disorder meaning those who have had 2 or more seizures. Most people with epilepsy can live normal lives.
True or False: Epilepsy is contagious.
The answer is completely false this has been known since the early 19th century however it is still one myth that continues to be told.
True or False: Woman who have epilepsy can have babies.
This is true it was once believed that woman who had epilepsy should be sterilized, some were not allowed to marry or attend regular schools. Truth be told 90% of babies born to women with epilepsy are healthy. However, a woman should be informed and talk to her doctor about trying to get pregnant so that they can discuss how to have a healthy pregnancy.
True or False: A person could swallow their tongue during a seizure so you should put a spoon or another object in their mouth.
Now this is one statement I hear all the time when I talk about my kids having seizures, the answer is FALSE! It is impossible for a person to swallow their tongue and really putting something in their mouth can actually be more harmful than good. The object can cause a chipped tooth, punctured gum, or worse break their jaw. If you see someone having a seizure and really want to help roll them on their side and make sure they are in a place that is safe try and grab some pillows for their head to keep from being injured.
True or False: You should never restrain a person who is having a seizure.
Did you answer True? If so good job, NEVER restrain a person having a seizure you just need to let the seizure run its course, remember though follow the advice I gave in the previous answer, roll them on their side and protect from head injury.
So how well did you do? There are many more myths about epilepsy but these are the ones I hear the most. The truth is epilepsy is a neurological disorder that can effect anyone at any age. There can be many causes as to why a person has epilepsy however most of the time the cause is unknown. Believe me as a parent an unknown cause can be very very frustrating.
Please if you don't know much about epilepsy research and learn, it is very likely someone you know may have epilepsy.
Tomorrow I will educate you one all the different types of seizures there are.
True or False: Epilepsy means a person is brain damaged or retarded and is different from a seizure disorder.
If you answered false you are correct the diagnosis of epilepsy is given to those who have a seizure disorder meaning those who have had 2 or more seizures. Most people with epilepsy can live normal lives.
True or False: Epilepsy is contagious.
The answer is completely false this has been known since the early 19th century however it is still one myth that continues to be told.
True or False: Woman who have epilepsy can have babies.
This is true it was once believed that woman who had epilepsy should be sterilized, some were not allowed to marry or attend regular schools. Truth be told 90% of babies born to women with epilepsy are healthy. However, a woman should be informed and talk to her doctor about trying to get pregnant so that they can discuss how to have a healthy pregnancy.
True or False: A person could swallow their tongue during a seizure so you should put a spoon or another object in their mouth.
Now this is one statement I hear all the time when I talk about my kids having seizures, the answer is FALSE! It is impossible for a person to swallow their tongue and really putting something in their mouth can actually be more harmful than good. The object can cause a chipped tooth, punctured gum, or worse break their jaw. If you see someone having a seizure and really want to help roll them on their side and make sure they are in a place that is safe try and grab some pillows for their head to keep from being injured.
True or False: You should never restrain a person who is having a seizure.
Did you answer True? If so good job, NEVER restrain a person having a seizure you just need to let the seizure run its course, remember though follow the advice I gave in the previous answer, roll them on their side and protect from head injury.
So how well did you do? There are many more myths about epilepsy but these are the ones I hear the most. The truth is epilepsy is a neurological disorder that can effect anyone at any age. There can be many causes as to why a person has epilepsy however most of the time the cause is unknown. Believe me as a parent an unknown cause can be very very frustrating.
Please if you don't know much about epilepsy research and learn, it is very likely someone you know may have epilepsy.
Tomorrow I will educate you one all the different types of seizures there are.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Why?
So I decided to write a blog about epilepsy to help more people become aware of the medical condition. It bothers me everyday to hear about childhood cancer, breast cancer, autism and other medical conditions that gain so much support from public figures however epilepsy does not seem to receive the same amount of attention. Its not that I'm heartless and feel that these medical conditions don't deserve the attention and funds it's just that I would like to see epilepsy get the same amount of attention and funds.
The facts about epilepsy:
CURE: Epilepsy Facts:
"Epilepsy affects over 3 million Americans of all ages – more than multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, and Parkinson’s disease combined. Almost 500 new cases of epilepsy are diagnosed every day in the United States. Epilepsy affects 50,000,000 people worldwide.
In two-thirds of patients diagnosed with epilepsy, the cause is unknown.
Epilepsy can develop at any age and can be a result of genetics, stroke, head injury, and many other factors.
In over thirty percent of patients, seizures cannot be controlled with treatment. Uncontrolled seizures may lead to brain damage and death. Many more have only partial control of their seizures.
The severe epilepsy syndromes of childhood can cause developmental delay and brain damage, leading to a lifetime of dependency and continually accruing costs—both medical and societal.
It is estimated that up to 50,000 deaths occur annually in the U.S. from status epilepticus (prolonged seizures), Sudden Unexplained Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP), and other seizure-related causes such as drowning and other accidents.
The mortality rate among people with epilepsy is two to three times higher than the general population and the risk of sudden death is twenty-four times greater.
Recurring seizures are also a burden for those living with brain tumors and other disorders such as cerebral palsy, mental retardation, autism, Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, multiple sclerosis, tuberous sclerosis, and a variety of genetic syndromes.
There is a strong association between epilepsy and depression: more than one of every three persons with epilepsy will also be affected by depression, and people with a history of depression have a higher risk of developing epilepsy.
Historically, epilepsy research has been under-funded. Federal dollars spent on research pale in comparison to those spent on other diseases, many of which affect fewer people than epilepsy."
So after reading the facts you may see why I am a bit upset about epilepsy not getting a lot of attention. But why do I care so much about epilepsy, you may ask, well it is because I am a mother of two boys who have epilepsy. So for them I have decided to start a blog about the facts of epilepsy, the journey that both my kids are on living with it, and the journey I am on as a mom hoping and praying that they outgrow seizures and also for a cure so that one day parents will never have to feel the emotions and fear that I do every time one of my kids has a seizure.
The facts about epilepsy:
CURE: Epilepsy Facts:
"Epilepsy affects over 3 million Americans of all ages – more than multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, and Parkinson’s disease combined. Almost 500 new cases of epilepsy are diagnosed every day in the United States. Epilepsy affects 50,000,000 people worldwide.
In two-thirds of patients diagnosed with epilepsy, the cause is unknown.
Epilepsy can develop at any age and can be a result of genetics, stroke, head injury, and many other factors.
In over thirty percent of patients, seizures cannot be controlled with treatment. Uncontrolled seizures may lead to brain damage and death. Many more have only partial control of their seizures.
The severe epilepsy syndromes of childhood can cause developmental delay and brain damage, leading to a lifetime of dependency and continually accruing costs—both medical and societal.
It is estimated that up to 50,000 deaths occur annually in the U.S. from status epilepticus (prolonged seizures), Sudden Unexplained Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP), and other seizure-related causes such as drowning and other accidents.
The mortality rate among people with epilepsy is two to three times higher than the general population and the risk of sudden death is twenty-four times greater.
Recurring seizures are also a burden for those living with brain tumors and other disorders such as cerebral palsy, mental retardation, autism, Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, multiple sclerosis, tuberous sclerosis, and a variety of genetic syndromes.
There is a strong association between epilepsy and depression: more than one of every three persons with epilepsy will also be affected by depression, and people with a history of depression have a higher risk of developing epilepsy.
Historically, epilepsy research has been under-funded. Federal dollars spent on research pale in comparison to those spent on other diseases, many of which affect fewer people than epilepsy."
So after reading the facts you may see why I am a bit upset about epilepsy not getting a lot of attention. But why do I care so much about epilepsy, you may ask, well it is because I am a mother of two boys who have epilepsy. So for them I have decided to start a blog about the facts of epilepsy, the journey that both my kids are on living with it, and the journey I am on as a mom hoping and praying that they outgrow seizures and also for a cure so that one day parents will never have to feel the emotions and fear that I do every time one of my kids has a seizure.
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