What is Epilepsy?

Epilepsy is a group of neurological disorders characterized by epileptic seizures. Epileptic seizures are episodes that can vary from brief and nearly undetectable to long periods of vigorous shaking. These episodes can result in physical injuries including occasionally broken bones. In epilepsy, seizures tend to recur and can be controlled with appropriate anti-epileptic medications.

Symptoms:

The main symptom of epilepsy is repeated seizures.

• A convulsion with no temperature (no fever)
• Short spells of blackout, or confused memory
• Intermittent fainting spells, during which bowel or bladder control is lost, which is frequently followed by extreme tiredness
• For a short period, the person is unresponsive to instructions or questions
• The person becomes stiff, suddenly, for no apparent reason
• The person suddenly falls for no clear reason
• Sudden bouts of blinking without apparent stimuli
• Sudden bouts of chewing, without any apparent reason
• For a short time the person seems dazed and unable to communicate
• Repetitive movements that seem inappropriate
• The person becomes fearful for no apparent reason; they may even panic or become angry
• Peculiar changes in senses, such as smell, touch, and sound
• The arms, legs, or body jerk, in babies these will appear as a cluster of rapid jerking movements

Types of seizure

Partial seizure

There are two types of partial seizure:

• Simple partial seizure - the patient is conscious during the seizure. In most cases, the patient is also aware of their surroundings, even though the seizure is in progress.
• Complex partial seizure - the patient's consciousness is impaired. The patient will generally not remember the seizure, and if they do, their memory will be vague.

Generalized seizure

A generalized seizure occurs when both halves of the brain have epileptic activity. The patient's consciousness is lost while the seizure is in progress.

• Tonic-clonic seizures - these are perhaps the best known type of generalized seizure. They cause a loss of consciousness, body stiffness, and shaking.
• Absence seizures - these involve short lapses in consciousness where the individual appears to be staring off into space. Absence seizures often respond well to treatment.
• Tonic seizures - muscles become stiff. They may cause a fall.
• Atonic seizures - loss of muscle control, causing the individual to drop suddenly.
• Clonic seizures - associated with rhythmic, jerking movements.

Non-Epileptic Seizures

      Non epileptic attacks look like epileptic seizures but are not caused by electrical activity in the brain. The condition has several other names such as dissociative seizures, psychogenic non epileptic seizures (PNES), functional seizures or, fortunately used rarely now, pseudo-seizures

About us & Seizure

Our expert team has vast experience in treating adult as well as pediatric epilepsy. We take a detailed clinical history which helps in differentiating between types of seizure based on which we suggest an appropriate anti-epileptic treatment plan. We also advice on lifestyle modifications that helps in controlling the seizure episodes.

In house Electroencephalogram is available to diagnose various seizure types.