Epilepsy: What You Need to Know

What is Epilepsy? Epilepsy is a neurological condition, which affects the nervous system. Epilepsy is also known as a seizure disorder. My brother was diagnosed with Epilepsy at the age of 5. The word "epilepsy" does not indicate anything about the cause of the person's seizures, what type they are, or how severe they are.

What is a Seizure? A seizure is a sudden surge of electrical activity in the brain that usually affects how a person feels or acts for a short time. When my brother has a seizure, he stares blankly at nothing for a few seconds then drops to the floor and starts shaking. He has dislocated his shoulder 7 times so far. He now needs reconstructive surgery.

Seizure Symptoms:

Sensory/Thought - Black Out, Confusion, Deafness/Sounds, Smell, Spacing Out, Out of Body Experience, Visual Loss or blurring.
Emotional - Fear/Panic
Physical - Chewing movements, Convulsion, Difficulty talking, Drooling, Eyes rolling up, Making sounds, Shaking, Sweating, Tremors
Heart Racing, Lip Smacking

After Seizure Symptoms:

Thought - Memory Loss, Writing Difficulty
Emotional - Confusion, Depression or Sadness, Fear, Frustration, Shame, Embarrassment
Physical - Bruising, Injuries, Sleeping, Difficulty Talking, Headache, Nausea, Pain, Thirst, Weakness

Who Gets Epilepsy? Anybody can develop Epilepsy at any age. Severe head injuries are the most common known to cause Epilepsy in young adults. Strokes are the common cause in people over the age of 65. Even a child can be born with a defect in the brain structure. Often seizures don't begin after a person has had a brain injury. They may start a few months or even years after. There has been no explanation for this.

Risk Factors For Epilepsy:

Babies who are small for their gestational age
Babies who have seizures in the first month of life
Babies who are born with abnormal brain structures
Bleeding into the brain
Abnormal blood vessels in the brain
Serious brain injury or lack of oxygen to the brain
Mental handicap
Stroke resulting from blockage of arteries

Mild head injuries with a very low loss of consciouness will not cause Epilepsy.

Seizure Provoking Factors:

Missed medication
Lack of sleep
Severe psychological stress
Heavy alcohol use
Use of cocaine and other recreational drugs such as Ecstasy
Nutritional deficiencies: vitamins and minerals

My brother was just hospitalised for having 3 Grand Mall seizures within 5 minutes. The doctors gave him plently of medicine. After coming out of those 3 grand mall seizures, he became very violent which he had to be put in a coma and on a ventalator. He is doing fine now and has had no seizures.