All about Seizures

Seizures are described as neurological conditions that affect a person’s nervous system. Seizure disorders are scientifically known as epilepsy which is generally diagnosed after a person experiences about a couple of seizures which had not been caused by a recognized medical condition such as falling blood sugar or alcohol withdrawal. At times, epilepsy is diagnosed following a single seizure in case the individual suffers from a condition which puts them at increased risk of having another attack.

Seizures in epilepsy can be related to genetics or an injury in the brain, although in most cases, the reason is unknown. Seizures do not tell us anything about the cause, variety or severity. Seizures are best identified as a sudden rush of electrical activity within the brain which influences the actions and feelings of a person for a short while. Seizures in themselves are not a disease; they stand for the various disorders which might affect the brain. At times, a few seizures can be hardly noticed, whereas in other instances they may be entirely disabling.

If you have a Seizure, Does it indicate you are Epileptic?
In epilepsy, the seizures are often without a cause. This is true for 50% of the people. If the seizure does not have a clear cause, it tends to recur within 6 months. There are high chances that people with brain abnormalities or brain injury will have a second seizure. If people have at least a couple of seizures, chances are immensely high that they will have more. If the first seizure started at the time of a brain infection or injury, you have higher chances of developing epilepsy if you did not have a seizure in the situation.

People can experience more seizures in case the doctor locates an abnormality after a neurological examination which examines the operation of your nervous system. An EEG or electroencephalogram test may be conducted by connecting wires to your scalp for recording your brain waves. It helps the doctor predict if more seizures are likely. Some patterns demonstrated in the EEG are characteristic of epilepsy and if the brain displays such patterns, there are high chances that you will develop seizures.

Who is a Patient of Epilepsy?
A person can be stricken with epilepsy at any age. Around 1.5% of the people develop epilepsy during their lifetime, while people displaying certain conditions may experience greater risks. Americans – 2.7 million – have received epileptic treatment since the last 5 years, which means 9 out of 1000 people suffer from the condition. The condition seems to affect men more than women. People are prone to get epilepsy at different stages in their life. Instances are commonly found among kids, usually in the initial stages of their life, and the condition generally declines as they near the age of 10.

After that, the condition turns stable. After 55 or 60 years, the rate of epilepsy starts reducing with people developing brain tumors, Alzheimer's disease and strokes. Interestingly enough, it should be mentioned that around 30% of the people do not react to the available medications.