Epilepsy Basics
People with epilepsy experience brief disturbances in the normal electrical
functioning of their brain. This can affect the entire brain, which is called
generalized epilepsy, or just part of it, known as partial epilepsy. When these
strong surges of electrical activity occur, they affect the consciousness,
movement patterns, and sensations during episodes called seizures. In clinical
terms, epilepsy is called a seizure disorder and is defined as having two or
more unprovoked seizures, meaning that they come out of nowhere and have no
clear cause. Although many people have seizures, not all of them are epileptic,
however. Seizures also can be caused by a variety of other triggers, including
medication reactions, a heart condition, or even extreme sleep deprivation, Dr.
Leppik says.
Epilepsy Causes
So why do people develop epilepsy? Unfortunately, researchers don't have all
of the answers, and for the majority there are no known causes. In the remaining
few individuals with epilepsy, Dr. Montouris says, certain situations may be
implicated, including a trauma at birth, hemorrhage, brain malformations,
infections involving the brain such as meningitis and encephalitis, a stroke,
head trauma, brain tumors, genetic syndromes, and blood vessel abnormality.
Epilepsy Diagnosis
Because the causes of epilepsy are so varied, establishing a medical history
is one of the first steps a physician will take when diagnosing the condition.
Although many physicians will treat epilepsy solely on the basis of a patient's
medical history, there are other tools at your doctor's disposal as well.
Depending on what type of epilepsy is suspected — there are dozens of different
forms — doctors may order an electroencephalograph, which records brain waves
and can alert physicians to patterns that might indicate seizures. Magnetic
resonance imaging, computerized tomography, and in some cases, positive emission
tomography, also may be used as diagnostic tools.
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