2. What Causes Epilepsy?
A central nervous system disorder, where nerve cell
activity in the brain becomes disrupted. This causes
seizures or periods of unusual behavior, sensations
and in some cases loss of consciousness.
https://youtu.be/6NcqQkKjqTI
4. Focal seizures (Partial
Seizures)
Simple partial epileptic- are confined to a small part
of the brain, individuals have a general awareness of
there surroundings. Symptoms could be a sudden
jerk of the hand or arm.
Complex partial epileptic- Individuals are impaired
of their surroundings. Mostly involves the temporal
lobe. Some symptoms could be a glassy stare or
unusual vocal sounds.
https://youtu.be/2RLlcrMc2f0
5. Generalized seizures
Start on both sides of the brain.
Absence seizures- mostly brief with starring spells,
are short, patients maybe considered to be in
confusion or considered to be out of it. Most
common in children.
Generalized Tonic-Clonic seizures- are the most
serious out of any seizure. Usually involve stiffness of
the body, rhythmic jerking, and total body convulsing.
When the seizure is over you may feel sleepy.
6. Generalized seizures
Myoclonic seizures- happen when the body or body
parts instantaneous jerk. Young children with infantile
spasms have clusters of myoclonic jerks that tend to
occur when they awaken.
Atonic seizures or drop attacks – cause you to drop to
the ground. This can happen from tonic (stiffening) or
atonic (sudden loss of tone).
https://youtu.be/jrYVudPCY0g
7. Is Epilepsy the cause of
seizures?
Patients are treated with antiepileptic drugs at
sometime before they are diagnosed with Epilepsy.
Epileptic seizures can cause greater harm than non-
epileptic when doctors are uncertain of the diagnosis
to treat for they will treat for a more serious illness.
If the drugs work and stop the seizure, then most
likely it is a epileptic seizure.
11. Other methods include
Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS)
Positron emission tomography (PET)
Single photon emission computed tomography
(SPECT)
Also blood test are done to make sure red and white
blood cells are at the normal count.
12. Treatments
Most seizures are treated through anti-epileptic
drugs (AEDs).
By using this medicine up to 70% of people can have
their seizures stopped
If medicine does not work they can sometimes
remove part of the brain.
In 1912 phenobarbitone was the first AED used to
treat Epilepsy.
13.
14. History of Epilepsy
Dates all the way back to the (400 BC)
During (400 BC) ancient Greek Hippocrates the father
of medicine, used diet and medicine to treat Epilepsy
based on his own theories.
In Europe during the middle ages people called
Epilepsy the “Falling Sickness”
In 1920 America and Nazi Germany there was an
operation to stop people with Epilepsy from having
children.
15. Facts
Greek Philosopher Hippocrates was the first to think
Epilepsy starts in the brain.
Today there are over 40 different types of seizures
1 IN 26 people in the United States will develop epilepsy at
some point in their lifetime.
OVER 2 MILLION: Number of people in the U.S.A who have
epilepsy.
6 OUT OF 10: Number of people with epilepsy where the
cause is unknown.
17. People Who have had
Epilepsy
Julius Caesar (Roman Emperor)
Danny Glover (Actor)
Vincent Van Gogh (Artist)
Dean Ryan (Rugby Player)
18.
19. My walk with Epilepsy
Ketogenic diet- consist of high fatty foods and low
carbohydrates. Stricter than the Adkins diet
requiring exact measurement or the diet will not
work
Steroid Therapy- high risk and you can not maintain
on it for long periods of time.
