Treatment Options for Adulthood Seizures

A seizure occurs as a result of abnormal electrical activity occurring in the brain. They are caused by a number of factors, such as medical disorders, drug exposure or withdrawal, brain injury, inherited issues or in some cases, they are idiopathic, meaning the cause could not be identified. Seizures are always serious and should be treated as such. If you witness someone having a seizure, you should immediately call 911.

Generalized Tonic-Clonic Seizure

This type involves the whole body. Most patients will have some type of warning sign before the seizure occurs, such as sensory, taste, smell or vision changes, dizziness or hallucinations. During the seizure, the patient may experience loss of consciousness, clonic movement, incontinence, blue skin color, tonic posture, clenched teeth or jaw, difficulty breathing or stopped breathing or biting the tongue or cheek.

Partial Seizure

During this type of seizure, patients will not lose consciousness and will remember the seizure. They may not remember all symptoms, however. They may experience repetitive, complex movements, abnormal muscle contraction, abnormal sensations, abnormal discomfort or pain, sweating, dilated pupils, forced turning of eyes, hallucinations, abdominal discomfort or pain, nausea, facial flushing or rapid pulse or heart rate.

Petit Mal Seizure

This type of seizure is more like a staring spell and tends to last less than 15 seconds. The patient suddenly stops talking or walking and simply seems absent. Typical symptoms include muscle activity changes, no memory of seizure and changes in consciousness.

Treating Seizures

Seizures are almost always treated in the emergency department. Health care providers will work to make sure the patient continues to breathe, does not injure himself, does not choke on vomit, and to ensure he makes it through the seizure without any extra injuries or issues.

If the patient has a seizure condition, such as epilepsy, he would consult a doctor after being released from the emergency room for long-term treatment. There are several anti-seizure medications available that are effective in preventing and reducing the frequency of seizures. Ultimately, the underlying cause of the seizures will determine the treatment.

Medication is the most commonly used seizure treatment. Surgery is available, but is not commonly used. In terms of a partial seizure, for example, doctors have successfully removed the part of the brain causing the seizure to treat seizures. This has helped some patients remain free of seizures. However, it is a very intricate operation and should only be used when all other methods have failed and the patient is experiencing frequent seizures.

Resources

MedlinePlus: Seizures