Light & Seizures
The potential to have a severe medical reaction just by looking at something may seem like an outlandish idea. Unfortunately for many, this is an everyday reality. Photosensitive epilepsy is a condition in which exposure to certain lighting conditions, such as fluorescent or flashing lights, can cause a seizure.
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Background
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Epilepsy affects 1 percent of the US population and a total of 50 million people around the world, according to the World Health Organization. Contrary to popular belief, epilepsy is not a disease in itself. It is an umbrella term used to describe a variety of seizure disorders. Seizures are electrical abnormalities in the brain that can be caused by a variety of things. One seizure trigger that is commonly associated with epilepsy is flashing lights. Although this is the most well-known trigger, only 3 percent of epileptics have these seizures.
Related Conditions
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Even if a person has strange symptoms under certain lighting conditions, it may not be epilepsy. Other conditions affected by lights include lupus, multiple sclerosis, autism and migraines. Other conditions with lighting triggers can have symptoms similar to a seizure disorder. Basilar type migraines often serve as a differential diagnosis for epilepsy, due to the impairment in consciousness they may cause. It is important to obtain a proper diagnosis from a neurologist if you suspect you may have photosensitive seizures.
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Diagnosis
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A variety of tests may be performed if epilepsy is suspected. The most important of these is the electroencephalogram, commonly known as an EEG. This involves attaching a series of electrodes to a patient's scalp to measure electrical activity in the brain. EEGs show up positive for epilepsy only if the patient has a seizure during the test. As a result, a variety of situations will be presented to the patient in an attempt to trigger one. One test is to expose the patient to a strobe light at varying frequencies to determine if she is photosensitive. About 20 percent of epileptic patients have normal EEG results. Other diagnostic procedures, such as an analysis of the patient's symptoms, are required in these cases.
Symptoms
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Symptoms vary based on the location of the brain in which the seizure occurs. Photosensitive seizures are often tonic-clonic in nature, meaning the patient loses consciousness and convulses. This is not the only kind of seizure a patient may have. Other kinds may be as subtle as a feeling of terror or a strange taste in the mouth. Any unusual symptoms during exposure to flashing lights, including fluorescent lights or CRT monitors, should be noted.
Treatment
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Like all seizures, photosensitive seizures are often treated with a course of drugs known as anticonvulsants. Sodium valproate is the preferred treatment for this type of seizure. Sometimes a combination of drugs is needed. Clonazepam is another drug that is prescribed. In up to 30 percent of cases, drugs are ineffective for seizure control. Other options, such as vagus nerve stimulation or brain surgery, may be recommended.
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References
- Photo Credit Compact fluorescent lightbulb image by K. Geijer from Fotolia.com
