Considering the international epilepsy day and to help grow the awareness for epilepsy and epileptic seizures we will share some general information about epilepsy and epileptic seizures and answer some commonly asked questions about the condition.
What is epilepsy?
Epilepsy is a central nervous system (neurological) disorder in which brain activity becomes abnormal and is a condition that causes people to have epileptic seizures.
An epileptic seizure is a sudden burst of electrical activity in the brain which causes the body to react in unexpected and uncontrollable ways.
What can cause epilepsy?
Epilepsy can be caused by many different things but in about half of the people with the condition, there is no identifiable cause. In the other half, the condition may be traced t
o various factors, including:
-Brain damage from birth
-Brain damage during an accident
-A stroke
-Meningitis
Are there different types of epileptic seizures?
Yes, there are over 40 different types of epileptic seizures. Some of the main types of seizures are:
?Tonic: Either half or the whole of a person’s body completely stiffens but doesn’t shake. All the muscles tighten, and they may fall. The eyes are fully open and roll back and they may bite their tongue or mouth.
?Tonic-clonic: This Is previously known as grand mal seizures. The clonic phase involves quick, rhythmic jerking of limbs, shaking, potential loss of bladder/bowel control, changes in breathing or biting your tongue or mouth.
?Myoclonic: Also known as myoclonic jerks. It has a sudden onset and usually causes a person’s upper body, arms and legs to jerk which can be mild or strong.
?Nocturnal: A nocturnal seizure can be any type of seizure that a person experiences in their sleep. Often the person is unaware that this has happened.
Is it possible to manage epilepsy?
Yes, it is. For most people, epilepsy can be well managed with medication and other treatments. This can mean the person might only have a few if any seizures at all.
More information:
If you are an organisation in the health care, childcare, care home or home care sector, you can sign up to do our newly launched Epilepsy course to get fully educated on the topic and learn how to care for someone suffering from it.
If you would like to learn more about epilepsy, please go to https://www.epilepsy.org.uk/info/what-is-epilepsy.
