Johanna Almendras

The Different Epilepsy Symptoms You have probably seen epileptic attacks whether it is in real life situation or on television. Or perhaps you’ve experience seizure yourself. But what is epilepsy? What are its symptoms? To know read through this article. Epilepsy is not a single disease rather it refers to group of recurrent seizure. The common features of these seizures are •Sudden onset •Spontaneous •Excessive neuron discharge •Disorderly neuron discharge Seizure is an electrochemical disorder. It results from imbalance of excitatory and inhibitory electrical discharges. More specifically there are more excitatory discharges produced. These electrical discharges are produced by the brain cells or neurons through chemical reaction hence electrochemical. Epilepsy can be primary or secondary depending on its cause. Primary epilepsy which is also known as idiopathic epilepsy refers to seizure with no specific anatomic cause. This managed by the use of anti epileptic drugs. Secondary epilepsy on the contrary are seizures that arise from reversible disturbances like head injuries and tumors. Types and Symptoms of epilepsy To know the different epilepsy symptoms the types of seizures must also be discussed. This is because the symptoms depends on the extent of the spread of electrical activity and neuronal discharge sites that may vary on each type. The two major classification of epilepsy are partial and generalized. I.Partial Seizure Partial seizure is further subdivided into the following: A.Simple Partial The abnormal electrical activity of this type is does not spread and is limited to a single area in the brain. It can be experienced by any person of any age. The following are its symptoms: •No loss of consciousness •Abnormal activity of a group of muscles that the affected brain region controls •Alteration in sensory recognition (smell, sight, sounds) •Flushing and nausea (autonomic nervous system) •remembers what happened B.Complex Partial Around 80% of those who have complex partial seizure have experience their first seizure attack before reaching 20 years old. It is sometimes referred to as limbic seizure, psychomotor seizure and temporal lobe seizure. The temporal lobe epilepsy symptoms are: •tingling •Nausea •Hallucinations •Mental distortion •chewing movement •Diarrhea •Frequent urination •Loss of consciousness •Confusion •comes with or without aura An aura will serve as a warning for an upcoming seizure episode. People with this type of seizure must be familiar with the manifestation of this aura such as light or sound perception. II.Generalized Seizure Unlike partial seizure, this classification of seizure starts in a single locus of the brain but quickly spreads and affects the two hemispheres. The abnormal electrical discharge affects the whole brain. A.Tonic-Clonic Tonic-clonic is also known as grand mal seizure. It is the most dramatic and common type. Its symptoms are: •rolling of eyes •Loss of consciousness •Tonic phase - stiffening •Clonic phase - jerking •utter a cry - respiratory muscle contraction •Confusion (postictal period) •Exhaustion (postictal period) B.Absence Absence is also called petit mal seizure. It usually occurs at the age of 3 to 5 years old and continues until puberty stage. The manifestations are: •Short and sudden loss of consciousness •stares (3 to 5 seconds) •Rapid blinking of the eye (3 to 5 seconds) •head nodding •Quick recovery C.Myoclonic Myoclonic seizure is relatively a rare type. It can appear at any age. It usually results from neurologic damage. It symptom is: •Recurrent muscle contraction (short episode) D.Febrile Seizure Febrile seizure is the most frightening to see however it does not cause any injury or neurologic damages. It also does not lead to death or learning disorders. It also seldom needs medications. This type of seizure occurs at the age of 3 months to 5 years to children who have high fever. The following manifestations are often times reported •shaking •stiffening •Loss of consciousness E.Status epilepticus This type of epilepsy has a manifestation of rapidly recurring seizure. It can last for 30 minutes. Its epilepsy symptoms are: •Severe contraction of the muscles •breathing difficulty (sometimes reported) So if you or your family member has experienced any of the above mentioned symptoms be sure to consult your doctor right away. The management of each type may vary. It is important to carefully report what happened to the doctor for proper medication and also to be knowledgeable on what to do if ever it strikes back again.