Share My Seizure Initiative



What is Epilepsy?

  • Epilepsy is the fourth most common neurological disorder and affects people of all ages.
  • Epilepsy means the same thing as "seizure disorders."
  • Epilepsy is characterized by unpredictable seizures and can cause other health problems.
  • Epilepsy is a spectrum condition with a wide range of seizure types and control varying from person-to-person.
  • Public misunderstandings of epilepsy cause challenges that are often worse than the seizures.



Epilepsy is a chronic disorder, the hallmark of which is recurrent, unprovoked seizures. A person is diagnosed with epilepsy if they have two unprovoked seizures (or one unprovoked seizure with the likelihood of more) that were not caused by some known and reversible medical condition like alcohol withdrawal or extremely low blood sugar.

The seizures in epilepsy may be related to a brain injury or a family tendency, but often the cause is completely unknown. The word "epilepsy" does not indicate anything about the cause of the person's seizures or their severity.

Many people with epilepsy have more than one type of seizure and may have other symptoms of neurological problems as well. Sometimes EEG (electroencephalogram) testing, clinical history, family history, and outlook are similar among a group of people with epilepsy. In these situations, their condition can be defined as a specific epilepsy syndrome.


What is a Seizure?

  • A seizure is a sudden surge of electrical activity in the brain.
  • A seizure usually affects how a person appears or acts for a short time.
  • Many different things can occur during a seizure. Whatever the brain and body can do normally can also occur during a seizure.

The electrical activity is caused by complex chemical changes that occur in nerve cells.

Brain cells either excite or inhibit (stop) other brain cells from sending messages. Usually there is a balance of cells that excite and those that can stop these messages. However, when a seizure occurs, there may be too much or too little activity, causing an imbalance between exciting and stopping activity. The chemical changes can lead to surges of electrical activity that cause seizures.

Seizures are not a disease in themselves. Instead, they are a symptom of many different disorders that can affect the brain. Some seizures can hardly be noticed, while others are totally disabling.


First Aid for Seizures - Stay, Safe, Side
https://www.epilepsy.com/learn/seizure-first-aid-and-safety/first-aid-seizures-stay-safe-side

All info found via: https://www.epilepsy.com

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Drug Use in High School and College

Image
Drug use and experimentation tend to proliferate on college campuses. For those who can afford this experience, campuses are often a sanctuary for drug use. In high school, drinking alcohol was my only experience with substance use. Right before college, I was required to partake in an online program about alcohol – one that demonstrated how to minimize harms associated with drinking, such as not drinking if you are planning on driving, staying well hydrated, eating before you drink, knowing how many alcoholic beverages you’ve had, or spacing out the drinks you are already consuming. These strategies help to keep people safe and prevent deaths, and are referred to as harm reduction. In my freshman year, I found myself in a position where drugs of all kinds were almost literally falling into my lap. How did this happen? I was encountering drugs I had never even heard of left and right, and with the emergence of online drug markets, it could be as easy as shopping on Amazon. I
Read more

Mental Health Resources

Image
All of these are for the United States. If you are somewhere else and are in need of help, please reach out and we'll do our best to put you in contact with the right place. Transportation Easterseals Project Action Services Animals Service Animals and Emotional Support Animals Treatment/Research The Mental Health Research Association (NARSAD) Psychiatric Information  American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) American Psychiatric Association- Practice Guidelines American Psychiatric Association – Healthy Minds Boston University Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation National Organizations on Children’s and Adult Mental Health Anxiety Disorders Association of America Borderline Personality Disorder Resource Center Bulimia Resource Guide Center for Mental Health Services Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance Recovery International  SAFE Alternatives Schizophrenia.com Tourette Syndrome Association, Inc. National Organizations on Children’s Mental Health Attention De
Read more

National Aunt and Uncle Day

Image
National Aunt and Uncle’s Day on July 26th honors a special set of relatives we look up to throughout our lives. During holidays, family events and sometimes sleepovers, aunts and uncles often hold an extraordinary place in our hearts. They fill our lives with fun, laughter, love and incredible memories.   This holiday provides an opportunity to spend time with our parents’ siblings we trusted and leaned on growing up.  It would be an excellent time to get out the old photo albums. Look through the pictures, and relive the memories of earlier days around the Christmas tree or at the 4th of July picnic or maybe at the beach vacation that included those special aunts and uncles in your life. Get together with your relatives and create new memories. Remind them of all the reasons you enjoy having them in your life. Celebrate the lessons they’ve taught you and share them with the next generation.  Another way to celebrate the day is by documenting family memories and history.
Read more