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Wes, who has epilepsy, spent most of his freshman year worried about having a seizure in front of his new classmates. Even though his teachers and friends knew of his condition - and Wes knew that he'd be OK if he did have a seizure - he was always concerned that he'd embarrass himself or scare his friends. What Is Epilepsy? Epilepsy is a condition of the nervous system that affects 2.5 million Americans. More than 180,000 people are diagnosed with epilepsy every year. It can be scary watching someone have an epileptic seizure. The person may lose consciousness or seem unaware of what's going on, make involuntary motions (movements the person has no control over, such as jerking or thrashing one or more parts of the body), or experience unusual feelings or sensations (such as unexplained fear). After a seizure, he or she may feel tired, weak, or confused. People have seizures when the electrical signals in the brain misfire. The brain's normal electrical activity is disrupted by these overactive electrical discharges, causing a temporary communication problem between nerve cells. Just because someone has a seizure does not necessarily mean that person has epilepsy, though. Seizures can be triggered in anyone under certain conditions, such as life-threatening dehydration or high temperature. But when a person experiences repeated seizures for no obvious reason, that person is said to have epilepsy.Many people develop epilepsy as children or teens. Others develop it later in life. For some people with epilepsy (particularly children), the seizures eventually become less frequent or disappear altogether. What Causes Epilepsy? This is a tricky question with no clear-cut answer. Often doctors can't pinpoint exactly what causes epilepsy in a particular individual. But scientists do know that these are some of the things that can make a person more likely to develop epilepsy:
Epilepsy is not contagious. You can't catch it from someone who has it. Understanding Seizures Seizures may look frightening, but they're not painful. They affect different people in different ways. Epileptic seizures fall into two main categories: partial and generalized. Partial seizures start in one part of the brain. The electrical disturbances may then move to other parts of the brain or they may stay in one area until the seizure is over. A person having a partial seizure may lose consciousness. There may be twitching of a finger or several fingers, a hand or arm, or a leg or foot. Certain facial muscles might twitch. Speech may become slurred, unclear, or unusual during the seizure. The person's vision might be affected temporarily. He or she might feel tingling throughout one side of her body. It all depends on where in the brain the abnormal electrical activity is taking place. Generalized seizures involve electrical disturbances that occur all over the brain at the same time. The person may look like he or she is daydreaming, may stare off into space, or may pass out. The muscles may stiffen and the person may make sudden jerking motions, such as flinging the arms outward. He or she may suddenly go limp and slump down or fall over. Most seizures last only a few seconds or minutes. After a seizure is over, the person may feel sleepy or confused for a few minutes or even an hour or more. People who've had seizures may not remember the seizure or what happened immediately before the event. They may be alert and ready to resume whatever they were doing before the seizure happened. It varies from person to person. Certain things can sometimes trigger seizures in people with epilepsy. They include:
What Do Doctors Do? Doctors who specialize in the brain and other parts of the nervous system are called neurologists (pronounced: nuh-rah-luh-jists). If you think you might have had a seizure, it's important to tell your doctor about it. He or she will most likely refer you to a neurologist who will check for epilepsy or other conditions. The neurologist will ask questions to get a detailed medical history of the person having the seizure. It's important to give the most accurate description possible of the seizure (or seizures). Because people who've had seizures may not remember anything about them, it's a good idea to get a detailed description from someone who saw it and write it down afterward. The neurologist will most likely perform medical tests such as an electroencephalogram (pronounced: eh-lek-tro-in-seh-fuh-luh-gram), or EEG test, to measure the electrical activity in the person's brain. Scans of the brain, such as a computerized tomography (CT) scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) test, may also be done. All of these tests are painless. If the neurologist determines that a person has epilepsy, he or will recommend an appropriate type of treatment. Treatment for epilepsy usually involves medication, but in some cases the person may need to eat a special diet or have surgery. The goal of treatment is to control seizures so that a person can live as normally as possible. In some cases, doctors can implant a device called a vagus (pronounced: vay-gus) nerve stimulator. This device sends signals through the vagus nerve in the neck to control seizures. A doctor also may recommend a ketogenic (pronounced: kee-toe-jeh-nik) diet, a special diet that may help people with epilepsy who don't respond well to medication alone. Sometimes doctors can help by performing surgery directly on the brain tissue of people with epilepsy when the condition can't be controlled using other treatments. Living With
Epilepsy If you have epilepsy, you can still become involved in extracurricular activities, go on dates, and get a job. Your doctor will give you instructions for taking precautions to protect yourself in various situations. For example, teens with epilepsy can enjoy swimming, but should always swim with other people to be safe. Aside from some minor safety precautions, though, you can enjoy all the stuff your friends and classmates do. As long as epilepsy is under medical control, people with epilepsy are able to drive. Tell the people close to you - friends, relatives, teachers, coaches - about your epilepsy and teach them what to do in case you have a seizure when they're with you. Some of the things friends can do to help someone who's having a seizure are:
There's usually no need to call 911 if you know that a person has had an epileptic seizure. However, if the person is injured, has another medical condition like diabetes, or has a long seizure or multiple seizures, he or she may need medical attention. Click on the Resources tab at the right of this article for more information on managing epilepsy from The Epilepsy Foundation and other organizations. Epilepsy sounds frightening, but managing it can be simple. If you have epilepsy, follow your treatment plan. Get plenty of sleep. Eat right. And exercise to reduce stress and stay in shape. Reviewed by: Michael H. Goodman, MDDate reviewed: September 2004
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