How to Recognize the Symptoms of Epilepsy

Epilepsy is a disorder that causes interruptions in the normal electrical impulses governing brain function. Sudden and intense bursts of electrical energy in the brain trigger epileptic seizures. It is estimated that more than 3 million people in the United States have epilepsy. It affects people of all ages, races and ethnicities. In the majority of people with epilepsy, no single cause can be pinpointed.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Recognize These Symptoms

1. Note that epileptic seizures are identified by a change in awareness, consciousness or behavior. In a tonic-clonic seizure, the person may cry out before experiencing convulsions or spasms. They may also experience rapid, jerky movements, shallow breathing and, sometimes, loss of bladder or bowel control.
2. Watch for sudden changes in muscle tone. Some seizures cause complete collapse. Called atonic seizures, they occur abruptly and without warning, and raise the risk of injury from falling.
3. Observe unresponsive or dazed behavior. The person remains conscious but may appear sleepy or drugged, and often does not respond to what is going on around her during a complex partial seizure.
4. Be alert for a blank, glassy stare, lip-smacking or arm movement, which are characteristic of absence seizures. Family members, the person with epilepsy, and occasionally even health care providers do not recognize that these symptoms are linked to epilepsy.
5. Know that even after a seizure ends, the person needs time to recover. An epileptic seizure usually lasts 1 or 2 minutes. Following a seizure, the person may feel confused, disoriented or irritable.
6. Recognize that a single, isolated seizure may result from extremely high fever or alcohol withdrawal, and is not considered epilepsy if a second seizure does not occur.

Tips & Warnings

• Seek a doctor's help right away when you suspect symptoms of epilepsy. While there is not yet a cure, epilepsy can be effectively managed to help you live a productive life.
• If you are present while someone is having an epileptic seizure, be sure to remain calm and put something flat and soft under the person's head. Never, under any circumstances, should you try to restrain the person. You should also never leave the person alone, as doing so could lead to irreversible damage, or even death.
• Never avoid the signs of epilepsy. Recurrent seizures can seriously impact your quality of life, and may even lead to permanent brain damage.

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