med term.

epilepsy: 

epilepsy By: Karen Arias

What Is A Epilepsy?: 

What Is A Epilepsy? . Epilepsy is a general term for conditions with recurring seizures. There are many kinds of seizures, but all involve abnormal electrical activity in the brain that causes an involuntary change in body movement or function, awareness, sensation, or behavior. More than 180,000 people are diagnosed with epilepsy every year. Epilepsy is a condition of the nervous system that affects 2.5 million Americans

What’s happening in the brain?: 

What’s happening in the brain? The human brain contains 100 billion microscopic units called neurons. Nerve cells do not touch each other they communicate or stimulate another through an electrical-chemical process. Electrical impulses send messages from one cell to another through axons and dendrites. Chemicals called neurotransmitters direct impulses across a gap known as a synapse.

What’s happening in the brain?: 

What’s happening in the brain? The receiving cell has receptors that are activated and can either “excite” or “inhibit” the neuron depending on the neurotransmitter The brain functions properly when there is a balance between the excitation and the inhibition. If there is to much excitation or too little inhibition in a part of the brain (an imbalance), a seizure results.

2 main types of seizures: 

2 main types of seizures Generalized: Burst of unusual electrical activity that affects all or nearly all of the brain Partial Seizures: Only part of the brain is affected by abnormal electrical activity. Over half of the people who have epilepsy get this type of seizure . Depending on which part of the brain the abnormal activity begins, the different effects will arise.

Types of Generalized Seizures: 

Types of Generalized Seizures T onic -clonic seizures: Lose consciousness During the tonic phase all the muscles contract making the body rigid May seem to cry out loud as chest muscles push air out of the lungs Lips may turn blue During the clonic phase the muscles contract causing rhythmic jerking motions. May urinate as a result of losing control of bladder muscle Last only a few minutes then the body relaxes

Absence seizure: 

Absence seizure Occur most often in children Lose consciousness No abnormal movements Seem like they’re day dreaming No answer if spoken to Last a few seconds then will return to normal

2 types of Partial Seizures: 

2 types of Partial Seizures Simple Partial Seizures What happened depend on the are being affected Twitching of muscles Strange emotions and feelings Sensations of unpleasant taste or smells Feel sweaty and sick Last a few seconds Will be aware and conscious Sometimes a generalized seizure follows immediately, if so the partial seizure can become a warning symptom called an aura. Complex Partial Seizures Larger area of the brain is affected and the person may go into a dream like state A person’s consciousness is usually altered May stare blankly, twitch, fumble with clothing, make repetitive mouth movements, walk in circles, or display other repetitious movements

First aid : What to do when someone is having a seizure: 

First aid : What to do when someone is having a seizure Never hold them down Remove harmful objects or furniture Put something soft under their head Don’t put anything in their mouth Place individual in recovery position (lying on their side) in case they get sick Call for medical help if the seizure lasts more than 5 minutes or if another attack starts right away

Cause of epilepsy: 

Cause of epilepsy About 50% of cases of epilepsy are idiopathic. Epilepsy that first appears in adulthood is often due to some localized damage such as poor blood flow to the brain, a brain tumor , or a previous head injury. Epilepsy in children can be brought on by meningitis during infancy or abnormalities of brain development, but it is often inherited.

Diagnoses : 

Diagnoses To do this, more information will be needed, involving details of the medical history, blood tests , Electroencephalogram (EEG) tests, and brain imaging tests such as a computed tomography (CT) and a magnetic resonance Image (MRI) scans. This gives information about the electrical activity of the brain, what the brain looks like and possible causes of seizures.

EEG: 

EEG Detects and records the brains electrical patterns Last 60-90 minutes Technician may ask patient to perform actions that stimulate brain waves like breathing rapidly, open/close eyes, or looking at a flashing light A person with epilepsy may have abnormal wave patterns know as spikes, sharp waves and spike waves.

MRI and CT: 

MRI and CT Show the brain structure to Identify the source of the seizures , such as cysts or tumors.

treatment: 

treatment When a patient is diagnosed with seizures or epilepsy, the following step is to select the best form of treatment. If the seizures were caused by an underlying correctable brain condition, surgery may stop seizures. If epilepsy, a continuing tendency to have seizures, is diagnosed, the physician will usually prescribe regular use of anti-seizure drugs. If medications are not successful, other methods may be tried, including surgery, a special diet or vagus nerve stimulation (VNS). The goal of all epilepsy treatment is to prevent further seizures, avoid side effects, and make it possible for people to lead active lives.