Epilepsy & Seizure Disorders Emily Sterling. What is a Seizure? Electrical activity in the brain Seizures are not a disease in themselves, but are symptoms.

Epilepsy & Seizure Disorders

Emily Sterling

What is a Seizure?

•Electrical activity in the brain•Seizures are not a disease in themselves, but are symptoms of many disorders•Nature of seizures varies, as each lobe of the brain controls different actions

Types of Seizures

Generalized (local) seizures:

• Produced by electrical impulses throughout entire brain

• Most common: grand-mal seizure

Partial (focal) seizures:

• Produced by electrical impulses from a small part of brain

Generalized Seizures (produced by entire brain)

Partial Seizures(produced by small area of the brain)

Partial: Symptoms:Simple (awareness retained)a. Simple Motorb. Simple Sensoryc. Simple Psychological

a. Jerking, muscle rigidity, spasms, head-turning

b. Unusual sensations affecting senses

c. Memory/emotional disturbances

Complex (impairment of awareness)

Lip smacking, chewing, fidgeting, walking, repetitive (involuntary but coordinate) movements

Partial seizure w/ secondary generalization

Symptoms initially associated with reservation of consciousness, evolves into loss of consciousness and convulsions

What Can Cause Seizures?

• Alcohol withdrawal• Bites/stings• Brain infections

(meningitis)• Brain injury• Brain defect present at

birth• Choking• Drug Abuse• Drug withdrawals• Electrolyte imbalance

• Electric shock• Epilepsy• Extremely high/low blood pressure• Fever• Head trauma• Kidney/liver failure• Low blood sugar• Poisoning• Stroke

Can Seizures Be Prevented?

•Epilepsy cannot be fully prevented•Seizures associated with epilepsy can be• Medications• Handle the triggers of seizures

•Avoid drugs and alcohol

Who Gets Seizures?• Epilepsy/Seizures can develop in any person at any age

• More common in young children and older people• New cases most common among children’s first year of life

• 1/26 people will develop epilepsy in their lifetime• Rate of new cases drops until age 10, then becomes stable• After age 55, rate of new cases starts to increase

• Health conditions, age, and race may make developing epilepsy more likely

• 4th most common neurological condition• Affects more than 65 million people worldwide.

First Aid for a Seizure Victim

1. Care and Comfort: general first aid for ALL seizures types to keep the individual safe

2. Tailoring First Aid: specific steps for different seizure types

3. Responding to Seizures: A. As-needed medicine (Rectal Valium)

My Story