Seizures
From Drug Rehab Wiki
A seizure is a sudden attack affecting physical or behavioral action and is caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain. The brain communicates with the body through the nervous system; neurons send signals by firing electrical or chemical signals to each other. The abnormal firing of these neurons causes involuntary reactions within the body.
The sudden attack of a seizure can include uncontrolled bodily, sensational, awareness, or emotional changes that can last from seconds to minutes. Depending on which part of the brain is affected, a seizure can cause different reactions throughout the nervous system. If an area of the brain that controls muscle movements is affected, an individual may have muscle spasms, twitching, or convulsions. When other areas of the brain are affected, several reactions may occur such as changes in sensations like feeling, smelling, or tasting; hyperemotional responses like strong laughter, joy, fear, or panic; or loss of consciousness.
If an individual experiences recurring seizures, he or she may be diagnosed with epilepsy. There are more than 32 different types of seizures due to the complexity of brain function, yet most seizures can be classified into two major categories: partial seizures and generalized seizures.
Partial Seizures
Partial seizures, also known as focal seizures, limit themselves to only one small part of the brain, such as the hippocampus or temporal lobes. A partial seizure may cause a transient surge in emotion, like anger, happiness, sadness, or even nausea; a visual, auditory, gustatory, or olfactory intensification; difficulty speaking; a sense of déjà vu or jamais vu; depersonalization; or spatial disorientation. Partial seizures are classified by the area of the brain in which they affect. These types of seizures do not impair consciousness, and are therefore labeled as simple partial seizures, which may precede more intense seizures. They may also occur during sleep and affect REM, dreaming behavior, or encourage hallucinations. The afflicted individual usually has complete memory of the episode.
A different type of partial seizure is known as complex partial seizure. These types of seizures are limited to one cerebral hemisphere and impair consciousness. The left hemisphere of the brain controls the right side of the body, and the right hemisphere of the brain controls the left side of the body. A complex partial seizure mostly affects the mesial temporal lobe, which can control auditory, vision, semantics, or long-term memory. The afflicted individual may experience amnesia after a complex seizure episode. A simple partial seizure, known as an ‘aura,’ may precede the onset of a complex partial seizure; when this occurs, the individual may fee a strong sensation, such as the pungent smell of burnt rubber or the taste of metallic. The afflicted individual may display uncontrollable repetitive behavior like walking in circles, banging against a wall, or constant blinking, chewing, or lip smacking.
Generalized Seizures
Generalized seizures are seizures that may begin in a focused part of the brain, but then spread to the entire brain. These types of seizures affect people with epilepsy. Generalized seizures will impair consciousness and may cause the individual to lose touch with reality, stare off into space, experience muscle twitches or spasms, fall to the ground, or have jerking movements.
Different types of generalized seizures include absence (petit mal) seizures, atonic seizures, clonic seizures, myoclonic seizures, or more commonly, tonic-clonic seizures. Tonic-clonic seizures are also known as grand mal seizures. The afflicted individual may first experience a simple partial seizure, and then move into the tonic phase. This includes loss of consciousness and strong skeletal muscle contractions. Next, the body moves into the clonic phase, which involves rapid or violent convulsions of the muscles, and may cause the eyes to roll back and the mouth to constantly clamp down. It is important to assist an individual experiencing a tonic-clonic seizure by positioning them flat on the floor, propping their head up with a soft object like a pillow, and tilting their head to the side to avoid choking on the tongue or vomit.
Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a brain disorder involving tonic-clonic seizures and is one of the least understood illnesses. A doctor may prescribe medication to help control or even prevent seizures from occurring to help the patient cope with daily life. Some afflicted individuals may be incapable of gaining a driver’s license and must avoid certain physical activities in which they may be put at risk or harm others around them. Over two million people in the U.S. experience seizures or have epilepsy.
Most causes of seizures are unknown. Yet some recognized causes include brain diseases such as meningitis or hydrocephalus. Trauma to the head, stroke, infection, or brain tumors can induce seizures as the brain attempts to heal itself. Brain poisoning caused by exposure to carbon dioxide and lead, or poor nutrition and lack of sufficient oxygen in babies can induce seizures. High fever in children may cause seizures, known as febrile convulsions. The occurrence of seizures tends to be genetically inherited. Seizures may be chemically influenced due to the abuse of some substances or the overdose of antidepressants.
People afflicted with epilepsy should never drink alcohol or use illicit drugs. Women with epilepsy who are pregnant may be prescribed alternate dosages of anti-epileptic medication to help cope with their disease while protecting the fetus. Anti-epilepsy medication can lead to minor side effects such as fatigue, dizziness, weight gain, and sometime depression. Abruptly stopping medication may cause the intensification of seizures and may be more difficult to treat. Most individuals will have full consciousness after a seizure and continue normal activity; others may fall asleep from nervous system exhaustion. If an individual experiences a seizure for longer than five minutes, they are in need of immediate medical attention.
