Seizures and epilepsy in children: Classification, etiology, and clinical features. Simon RP, et al. In: Clinical Neurology. McGraw Hill; Ferri FF. Seizures, generalized tonic clonic. In: Ferri's Clinical Advisor Overview of the management of epilepsy in adults. Who gets epilepsy? Epilepsy Foundation. Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy. Neurological diagnostic tests and procedures fact sheet. Accessed June 4, Haider HA, et al. Neuroimaging in the evaluation of seizures and epilepsy.
Karceski S. Initial treatment of epilepsy in adults. Seizures and epilepsy in children: Initial treatment and monitoring. Crepeau AZ, et al. Management of adult onset seizures. Mayo Clinic Proceedings. Lyons MK. Deep brain stimulation: Current and future clinical applications.
Comorbidities and complications of epilepsy in adults. Englot DJ, et al. Seizure outcomes in nonresective epilepsy surgery: An update.
Neurosurgical Review. External trigeminal nerve stimulation. Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Fisher RS, et al. Lundstrom BN, et al. Chronic subthreshold cortical stimulation: A therapeutic and potentially restorative therapy for focal epilepsy. Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics. Van Gompel JJ expert opinion. May 30, Moeller J, et al. Video and ambulatory EEG monitoring in the diagnosis of seizures and epilepsy. Burkholder DB expert opinion. Mayo Clinic. July 20, Labiner DM, et al.
Essential services, personnel, and facilities in specialized epilepsy centers — Revised guidelines. Find an epilepsy center. National Association of Epilepsy Centers. Nair DR, et al. Nine-year prospective efficacy and safety of brain-responsive neurostimulation for focal epilepsy. Monteith S, et al. Transcranial magnetic resonance—guided focused ultrasound for temporal lobe epilepsy: A laboratory feasibility study.
Journal of Neurosurgery. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent.
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These cookies do not store any personal information. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. What is Epilepsy? The effect of VNS varies widely among people with epilepsy.
Some people see a significant improvement, while others do not find that it helps. It usually begins to have effects right after surgery, but it can sometimes take up to 2 years to make a difference. It is also unlikely to stop seizures completely. Before starting VNS treatment, a person may need to undergo testing to see if they have the type of seizures that are likely to respond to VNS. This improves the likelihood of the technique being effective.
People can still use antiepileptic drugs with VNS, but they may find that they are able to reduce the dosage. For people with epilepsy, stress and anxiety may increase the risk of having a seizure. Some relaxation techniques that may help include:. Deep breathing and meditation may also help, but they can affect electrical signals to the brain.
People with epilepsy should find a qualified practitioner who can train them appropriately. Read about five relaxation techniques to try here. As interest grows in neurostimulation therapies for epilepsy, some researchers believe that acupuncture could help. An acupuncturist inserts very fine needles into specific places on the body. They then leave them there for a few minutes or as long as 30—40 minutes. In theory, this affects the energy channels in the body. Research suggests that, for some people, it can improve results on an electroencephalogram and reduce the number of seizures that they experience.
Some experts indicate that different types of epilepsy may benefit from different approaches, but more research is needed to establish the most appropriate methods in each case. Seizures happen when an imbalance occurs in the levels of neurotransmitters, such as the stimulant glutamate and the inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid GABA.
Scientists call the imbalance in these chemicals an electrical paroxysmal depolarization shift PDS. This shift is what causes epileptic activity. Certain events and activities can trigger such a shift. Knowing their triggers may help people reduce the risk of experiencing a seizure. Some common triggers include:. Anyone, in theory, can experience a seizure. For example, people without epilepsy can experience febrile seizures , psychogenic nonepileptic seizures , and other types of seizures in response to an infection, stress, a stroke, or a head injury.
However, people with epilepsy have more frequent seizures because they have a higher tendency to experience PDS. Knowing about epilepsy can improve quality of life for people who have seizures and their families. Patient education can help people with several aspects of the condition, including:. The authors of one study suggest that, globally, many people still believe that epilepsy is a psychological condition rather than a neurological one.
This lack of knowledge can lead to misunderstandings and errors in treatment. Some of the ingredients in essential oils can cross the blood-brain barrier, which means that they may be either helpful or harmful, depending on the substance. If an essential oil contains ingredients that can help a person sleep or reduce stress, it may help prevent seizures by alleviating certain triggers.
According to a review , oils from plants belonging to the Cymbopogon family which includes lemongrass and citronella and the Acorus family which includes sweet flag may have this property.
Lavender may help people relax, is likely safe for people with epilepsy to use, and may also have anticonvulsant properties. However, these are not a substitute for antiepileptic drugs, and more studies are needed to confirm that they are safe and effective for managing epilepsy. People should always speak with a doctor before using them. Some scientists note that camphor and eucalyptus may trigger seizures in people with epilepsy. For this reason, they warn against using these oils.
It is not always possible to know exactly which ingredients an essential oil product contains. AEDs are available in a number of different forms, including tablets, capsules, liquids and syrups. You usually need to take the medicine every day. Your specialist will start you on a low dose and gradually increase it until your seizures stop. If the first medicine you try does not work, your doctor may recommend trying another type. It's important you follow any advice about when to take AEDs and how much to take.
Never suddenly stop taking an AED — doing so could cause a seizure. If you have not had a seizure for a few years, ask your doctor if you might be able to stop treatment. If they think it's safe, your dose will be reduced gradually over time. While taking AEDs, do not take any other medicines, including over-the-counter medicines or complementary medicines, without speaking to your GP or specialist.
Other medicines could affect how well your AED works. Side effects are common when starting treatment with AEDs. Some may appear soon after starting treatment and pass in a few days or weeks, while others may not appear for a few weeks.
Contact your GP or specialist if you have symptoms similar to being drunk, such as unsteadiness, poor concentration and being sick. This could mean your dose is too high. For information about the side effects of your medicine, check the information leaflet that comes with it. In these cases, there's a good chance that your seizures could stop completely after surgery. If your epilepsy is poorly controlled after trying several AEDs, you may be referred to a specialist epilepsy centre to see if surgery might be possible.
The results of these tests will help you and your specialist decide if surgery is an option for you, and what the result of surgery might be. Surgery for epilepsy is usually carried out under general anaesthetic , where you're asleep. The surgeon makes a small cut in your scalp and creates an opening in your skull so they can remove the affected part of the brain. Your seizures may not stop straight away, so you might need to keep taking AEDs for 1 to 2 years.
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