Epilepsy

 👨‍🔬 What is Epilepsy?

Epilepsy is a neurological condition involving the brain that makes people more susceptible to having recurrent seizures. It is one of the most common disorders of the nervous system and affects people of all ages, races, and ethnic background. Almost 2.2 million Americans live with epilepsy.

👨‍🔬 Types Of Epilepsy:

Classifying the type of seizure is very important and will help your doctor plan the treatment you need.

👉 Generalized Epilepsy:

Generalized epilepsy involves seizures produced by abnormal electrical activity throughout the brain. The seizures can result from a genetic predisposition in an otherwise healthy person or as a consequence of widespread disturbance of brain function. You may experience different types of generalized seizures or the type may vary from one seizure to another.

"Grand Mal" or Generalized Tonic-Clonic:

Typical Symptoms: Loss of consciousness, rigid muscles, whole-body convulsions; can cause a fall if you are standing

Absence:

Typical Symptoms: Staring with brief loss of consciousness; fluttering eyelids.

Myoclonic:

Typical Symptoms: Sporadic or repeated, brief jerks of the limbs.

Clonic: 

Typical Symptoms: Repetitive, rhythmic jerking movements of head or limbs.

Tonic:

Typical Symptoms: Loss of consciousness, stiffness and rigidity of the whole body; can cause a fall if you are standing.

Atonic:

Typical Symptoms: Loss of muscle tone in head or body; can cause a fall if you are standing.

👉 Partial (Focal) Epilepsy:

Partial or focal epilepsy involves seizures produced by electrical impulses that start in a relatively small region of the brain. The part of the brain generating the seizures is sometimes called the focus. In simple partial seizures, the patient retains awareness, whereas complex partial seizures cause the patient to lose awareness.