Health
Problems
Epilepsy
What
is epilepsy?
Those of us
with epilepsy are just like everyone else, except we are prone to
recurrent seizures. A seizure is caused by a temporary change in the way
our brain cells work. (The old name for a seizure was a 'fit').
The brain is like a
computer which consists of a vast network of nerve cells called neurons.
Throughout our lives literally billions of electrical messages are fired
between these cells, controlling every single thing we think, feel or
do.
The body has its own
inbuilt balancing mechanisms. These ensure that messages usually travel
between nerve cells in an orderly way. However sometimes - quite without
warning - an upset in brain chemistry causes the messages to become
scrambled. When this happens the neurons fire off faster than usual and
in bursts. It's this disturbed activity that triggers off a seizure.
During a seizure we may
black out or experience a number of unusual sensations or movements. The
whole thing usually only lasts a matter of seconds or minutes, after
which our brain cells return to normal.
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Spotting
a seizure - the symptoms
Although we
talk about epilepsy as if it were a single condition there are over 40
different types of seizures and they affect us in different ways. Just
as no two people with blue eyes share the exact hue and shape, each one
of us will experience epilepsy in a way that is unique.
To make things even more
confusing, in recent years the medical names given to various types of
seizures have changed so you may hear them described in different ways.
The main thing to bear in
mind is that seizures can be of two types - generalised or partial. What
you experience (your symptoms) will depend on where the change in brain
activity begins and how widely and rapidly it spreads out.
Generalized seizures
involve the whole brain. There are several types, including - tonic-clonic,
absence and myoclonic.
Partial seizures, as the
name suggests, start in just one part of the brain. They can be either simple
partial seizures or complex partial seizures but either way
the electrical discharge may stay in one spot or may spread to the rest
of the brain.
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Possible
causes of seizures - the triggers
Most seizures
strike completely out of the blue. However some of us can pinpoint
certain factors which spark them off. These include:
- Alcohol
- excess alcohol
can
trigger a seizure - even in people without epilepsy.
- Stress
- some of us experience more seizures during periods of anxiety or
stress. This may be partly because sleep patterns can be upset at
such times. Some stress is part of everyday life - it's best to find
ways to manage it, rather than trying to avoid it altogether.
- Patterns of
light - many people believe that watching TV or playing
video games can trigger a seizure. This is true in a few people who
are photosensitive
(sensitive to flickering light), though it's far less common than
most people imagine. In fact only about five per cent of people with
epilepsy are affected in this way.
- Late nights
& lack of sleep - too many late nights or going without
sleep (e.g. if you work shifts or travel across time zones) can
trigger seizures. The odd late night shouldn't matter much, but it
is best to try to keep regular hours. Experience will teach you what
best suits you.
- Illness
- a high temperature (fever) can bring on seizures if we're ill.
This is probably because it lowers our seizure threshold.
- Hormones
- many women
report that their seizures are linked to their menstrual cycle -
though no one really knows why. They tend to happen in the week
before or first few days of your your period. Ask your doctor or
medical specialist for advice if you are affected in this way.
- Food
- some people with epilepsy claim that certain foods trigger
seizures. Apart from some severe types of childhood epilepsy there's
no evidence to suggest that what you eat can bring on seizures.
However, skipping meals and eating an unbalanced diet may be a
factor.
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Who
has epilepsy?
Epilepsy can
affect any of us, at any age and from any walk of life. Boys and men
tend to be slightly more prone than girls and women - though no one
really knows why. Many of those who develop epilepsy start having
seizures during childhood, but it can develop at any age.
Sometimes the reason
epilepsy develops is obvious: brain damage caused by a difficult birth;
a severe blow to the head; a stroke which starves the brain of oxygen;
or an infection of the brain such as meningitis. In some people the
tendency to have seizures runs in the family. It's not epilepsy itself
which is inherited but a low trigger point or 'seizure threshold'. This
leads our brain cells to change their behaviour in circumstances which
wouldn't cause a seizure in other people. Very occasionally the cause is
a brain tumor. But for most of us - six out of 10, in fact - the exact
cause is a mystery.
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