Epilepsy Essay

808 Words2 Pages

According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, epilepsy is defined as “a brain disorder in which a person has repeated seizures (convulsions) over time.” Abnormal electrical activity in the brain causes these seizures. Epilepsy can result in learning difficulties, choking (during seizures), injuries, and even brain damage. Most people diagnosed with epilepsy will continue to have it throughout their lives. There is no cure for epilepsy but the disease can be controlled using anticonvulsant drugs (Epilepsy). Epilepsy can be caused by a variety of incidents or have no known cause at all. Seizures are caused when anything causes a disruption of a burst of electricity in the brain (NINDS Epilepsy Information Page). Seizures can be triggered by strokes, diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, brain injuries, congenital brain defects, brain tumors, abnormal vessels in the brain, and many more (Epilepsy). Having one seizure does not mean a person has epilepsy. Only someone who has had two or more seizures can be considered epileptic (NINDS Epilepsy Information Page). Usually an epileptic person has a strange repetitive sensation called an “aura” before their seizures. An aura can be a sensation of tingling, mood changes, or smelling odors which are not actually there. Three types of seizures can occur with epilepsy: absence seizure, known as petit mal; generalized tonic-clonic seizure, known as grand mal; and partial seizure, known as a focal seizure. A petit mal seizure is the least severe of the three. Petit mal consists of a simple staring spell lasting for usually around fifteen seconds and can occur several times throughout the day. A grand mal seizure produces convulsions of the whole body including involuntary biting, inconti... ... middle of paper ... ...eople with epilepsy will continue to have it all of their lives. Sudden death is not common in epileptic patients but can occur if in dangerous conditions. Epileptic patients should wear medical jewelry to alert those around them if a seizure does occur. Some people with epilepsy may not be allowed to drive in their state (Epilepsy). Research is still being conducted to find the causes for epilepsy and more effective detection and treatment. MRI and CT scans are improving with newer technology which could influence the knowledge about epilepsy (NINDS Epilepsy Information Page). The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke states, “researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health have developed a flexible brain implant that could one day be used to treat seizures.” Today epilepsy still continues to affect nearly 200,000 new patients each year.(4)

Show More
Related

  • Elizabeth Otte Epilepsy Case Study

    1209 Words  | 3 Pages

    Many people with epilepsy usually have more than one type of seizure and may have other symptoms of neurological problems as well. The cause of epilepsy varies by age of the person, but the majority of the time the cause is unknown. Common causes of seizures by age in Elizabeth Otte’s case would be congenital conditions (Down’s syndrome; Angelman's syndrome; tuberous sclerosis and neurofibromatosis), genetics, head trauma, and progressive brain disease which is rare (Schechter & Shafer, Ltd., 2013, p.1). The diagnosis of epilepsy is based on medical history of the patients including family history of seizures. They ask several of questions to figure of what type of seizures the patients could possibly be suffering from. Doctors then preform test such as EEG, take blood, and study images of your brain. Epilepsy is treated by a neurologist specialist that may or may not subscribe medication depending on the severity and frequency of the seizures. Also treatment can be a change in the patients’ diet or

    Read More

  • Hmong Culture

    1385 Words  | 3 Pages

    Seizures occur because of sudden surge of electrical activity in the brain. This cause is a temporary and disturbed in the messaging system between brain cells. Epilepsy may occur as a result of a genetic disorder or n acquired brain injury, such as trauma or stroke. There are four different kinds of seizures that can occur. Simple partial seizure, which is when the patient is conscious during the seizure in most cases, and the patient, is aware of his/her surrounding even when the seizure is in progress. Complex partial seizure is when the patient is conscious is impaired. The patient will generally not remember the seizure and if he/she does the recollection of it will be vague. Generalized seizure is when both halves of the brain have epileptic activity and the patient conscious is loss. Secondary generalized seizure is when epileptic activity starts as a partial seizure but then spread to both halves of the brain. The main symptom of epilepsy is repeated seizures. But, there are other symptoms such as short spells or black out or confused memory, panic or become fearful, repetitive movement that seem inappropriate, short period the person is unresponsive to instructions or questions etc.… There is no cure for epilepsy but overtime you can help it get better or find ways to adjust to it. You can also take medication, gob through surgery etc.… Epilepsy was a main point in the book because the main character Lia Lee was diagnosed with it. Her culture believed that it was a blessing rather than a disorder. Because of her culture it was impossible for Lia to be treated the way she supposed to be treated. Her parents did take her to get treatment and medication but they also utilized traditional healing methods. The family believed that little medicine and treatment was okay but not too much or that would stop the spiritual healing. In our presentation we talked

    Read More

  • What is Epilepsy?

    986 Words  | 2 Pages

    Studies have shown that 9 out of 10 people will have a seizure in their lifetime. Every person is different not every case is the same. There is no known cure for this disability. There are studies that are going on today that are trying to find out more about Epilepsy.

    Read More

  • College Essay On Concussions

    345 Words  | 1 Pages

    Each year, U.S emergency departments treat an estimate 173,285 sports and recreation concussions. During the last decade concussions increased by 60%. Fewer than 10% of concussions result in loss of conscious. Most people recover from a single concussion. Multiple concussions take longer to recover from. The concussion Clinic at Nationwide Children’s Hospital utilizes the expertise of pediatric sports medicine, physical medicine, and rehabilitation specialists.

    Read More

  • Essay On Cerebral Palsy

    1371 Words  | 3 Pages

    The effects of multiple disabilities are often both multiplicative and interactive. Cerebral Palsy is a disability that originates from damage to the central nervous system, but which is often accompanied by sensory, communication, orthopedic, learning and cognitive abilities. The complex nature of cerebral palsy is related to differences in causation and the nature and degree of motor involvement. In this paper, Cerebral Palsy will be defined and described, followed by discussion of conditions that frequently occur with this disability. A description of the impact of cerebral palsy on physical and communication development will also be discussed.

    Read More

  • Epilepsy Essay

    1670 Words  | 4 Pages

    Epilepsy, also known as “seizure disorder,” or “seizure attack,” is the fourth most common neurological disorder known to mankind, affecting an estimated 2.3 million adults and 467,711 children in the United States. Unfortunately this disorder is becoming far more common and widespread worldwide. This staggering number of cases of people suffering from Epilepsy also involves an average growth rate of 150,000 new cases each year in the United States alone. Generally, many of the people who develop who are a part of the new are mainly either young children or older adults. Your brain communicates through chemical and electrical signals that are all specialized for specific tasks. However, through the process of communication, chemical messengers, also known as neurotransmitters can suddenly fail, resulting in what is known as a seizure attack. Epilepsy occurs when a few too many brain cells become excited, or activated simultaneously, so that the brain cannot function properly and to it’s highest potential. Epilepsy is characterized when there is an abnormal imbalance in the chemical activity of the brain, leading to a disruption in the electrical activity of the brain. This disruption specifically occurs in the central nervous system (CNS), which is the part of the nervous system that contains the brain and spinal cord. This causes an interruption in communication between presynaptic neurons and postsynaptic neurons; between the axon of one neuron, the message sender and the dendrite of another neuron, the message recipient. Consequently, the effects that epileptic seizures may induce may range anywhere from mild to severe, life-threatening ramifications and complications. There are many different types of seizures associa...

    Read More

  • Epilepsy

    2342 Words  | 5 Pages

    Epilepsy is a very common neurological disorder. Some reports estimate that five in one-thousand people suffer from this problem. Throughout history, people with epilepsy have been shunned or considered inferior. Even today, ignorance leads many people to treat the epileptic as "abnormal" or "retarded". Although the etiology of epilepsy is still not fully understood, it is quite treatable due to advances in modern medicine.

    Read More

  • Living with Epilepsy

    570 Words  | 2 Pages

    Later, the doctors told me I had epilepsy, specifically the type known as grand mal. Immediately, the doctors put me on some medications to prevent the seizures. They also gave my parents a bunch of packets of information about epilepsy. When I got older, some of those packets informed me that 20-25 million people have suffered from an epileptic seizure. Many people grow out of childhood epilepsy or they take medicine to control it. However, there is still a risk of having a seizure even if you take medication. Over the past few years, I have become increasingly aware of the chance of a seizure at any time.

    Read More

  • Epilepsy

    4081 Words  | 9 Pages

    Epilepsy is a condition characterized by recurrent seizures which are unprovoked by any immediately identifiable cause (Hopkins & Shorvon, 1995). It is also known as a seizure disorder. A wide range of links and risk factors are associated with the condition, but most of the time the cause is unknown. Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders, affecting approximately two and half million people in the US and about 50 million worldwide. Though seizures can occur at any age, epilepsy is most commonly seen in children and the elderly. Most respond well to treatment and can control their seizures, but for some it is a chronic illness. A clinical diagnosis is the first step to finding a potential cure for the disorder.

    Read More

  • Epilepsy Essay

    601 Words  | 2 Pages

    This paper is going to discuss the condition Epilepsy. Epilepsy is defined as a disorder of the brain characterized by the recurrence of unprovoked seizures (Shorvon, 2009). Epilepsy starts in your brain, the brain is like a computer, it is made up of a mass of cells, called neurons, which connect to each other in very complicated ways (Routh, 2004). Electrical messages are constantly being passed from one neuron to another down nerves to the muscles in the body (Mair, 2004). If a person has epilepsy, these cells sometimes send a sudden, unexpected burst of electrical impulses, which causes a seizure (Routh, 2004). When the seizure finishes the brain behaves normally again. For some people with epilepsy these seizures happen every day. For others they may happen only once or twice a year (Routh, 2004). There are over 40 different types of seizure and each person is slightly different, but there are a few common types (Routh, 2004). Generalized seizures which affect the whole brain and partial seizures which affect a small part of the brain (Miller, 2013). The most common types of ge...

    Read More

  • Anatomy Of The Brain Essay

    1923 Words  | 4 Pages

    It is interesting— the way the brain works. When you think about it, it is the one organ that can give you the ability to think, to talk, to store memories and to function. It is one of the most complex organs in the human body and the way it develops and functions is still mostly unknown to scientists around the world. Every human brain has developed differently in that there are several cells that are created. These cells in the human brain can mature faster in one individual versus another individual over time; or there may be environmental factors and internal factors that play a key role in the way an individual’s brain matures and develops. For example, some individuals can inherit diseases from family members or other individuals will

    Read More

  • Stroke Essay

    1580 Words  | 4 Pages

    Stroke is a commonly known disease that is often fatal. This cellular disease occurs when blood flow to the brain is interrupted by either a blood clot halting the progress of blood cells in an artery, called an Ischemic stroke, or a blood vessel in the brain bursting or leaking causing internal bleeding in the brain, called a hemorrhagic stroke. When this happens, brain cells are deprived of oxygen and nutrients because the blood cells carrying these essential things are stopped, causing them to die. When the cells in the brain die, sensation or movement in a limb might be cut off and may limit an organism’s abilities. A person with stroke is affected depending on where in the brain the stroke occurs. In other words, symptoms of a stroke

    Read More

  • Essay On Mild Brain Injury

    954 Words  | 2 Pages

    Introduction Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an injury to the brain that results from a hard, direct hit (blow) to the head, whiplash, or direct impact to the brain by an object. TBI can be mild, moderate, or severe. What do I need to know about this condition?

    Read More

  • Epilepsy: The People Who Struggle With Seizure

    904 Words  | 2 Pages

    There are many people around the world who struggle with seizure; an estimated 3 million in the United States and 65 million people worldwide. Seizure is an attack that occurs in the brain when the electrical activity is abnormal. It can be a very scary situation because most of the patients don’t see it coming. It’s possible for it to occur at any place and at any time and the only thing to do is to hope that it doesn’t happen while the person is driving or in the shower or simply being alone at home. It’s not easy for the family and friends that have to watch and go through the process of seeing someone having a seizure, it’s not a pretty scene and it can affect the people around greatly. Sometimes people are born with this neurological disorder

    Read More

  • Epilepsy Essay

    907 Words  | 2 Pages

    Nowadays, they are searching for a cure and other treatment options for epilepsy.

    Read More

More about Epilepsy Essay

Open Document