Epilepsy

What is epilepsy?

The Center for Neurology and Spine team diagnoses epilepsy after you have two or more seizures that weren’t caused by an underlying medical condition. Nonepileptic seizures may arise from a high fever, stroke, traumatic brain injury, brain tumor, and many other conditions.

Seizures occur when a surge of unusual electrical activity occurs in your brain. The sudden nerve activity causes temporary changes in your behavior, movements, and senses. Some seizures may cause convulsions and loss of consciousness.

What symptoms does epilepsy cause?

Seizures are the main symptoms of epilepsy, but you can have many different types of seizures, each with varying symptoms.

Most people think of seizures as losing consciousness, falling, and having full-body spasms. However, a seizure can also cause minor symptoms that go unnoticed. It may seem like the person phased out, or their mind was elsewhere for a few minutes.

This list shows the wide range of seizure symptoms:

• Brief muscle twitches
• Whole body spasms
• Jerking movements in one body part
• Subtle movements (like eye blinking and lip-smacking)
• Repetitive movements (like rubbing your hands or swallowing repeatedly)
• Limp muscles
• Rigid muscles
• Inability to move
• Loss of consciousness
• Blanking out or staring
• Confusion
• Difficulty talking
• Sensory symptoms (seeing flashing lights, smelling something that’s not there, tingling)

Seizures typically last less than two minutes. A seizure lasting longer than five minutes requires immediate emergency treatment.

How is epilepsy treated?

Your Center for Neurology and Spine provider performs a physical and neurological exam, runs blood tests, and performs an electroencephalogram (EEG). 

EEGs are essential for diagnosing and treating epilepsy because they reveal brainwave activity associated with seizures and may show the brain area where the seizure began.

Your provider offers comprehensive epilepsy care, beginning with medications that control and prevent seizures. Along with medication, they work closely with patients and their families, helping them identify activities that may trigger seizures, like stress, flashing lights, and insomnia.

Your personalized care includes a plan to avoid your triggers. The team also prioritizes education, teaching patients about epilepsy and what to do when a seizure occurs.

If you still have seizures despite taking medication, your provider may recommend a specialized diet or one of several surgical interventions, like implanting a device that stops seizures.

The experts at the Center for Neurology and Spine provide exceptional epilepsy care. Call the office immediately or use online booking to request an evaluation after a seizure.