How is epilepsy treated?
Epilepsy Foundation-Frequently Asked QuestionsEpilepsy may be treated with drugs, surgery, a special diet, or an implanted device programmed to stimulate the vagus nerve (VNS therapy). Of these treatments, drug therapy is by far the most common, and is usually the first to be tried. A number of medications are currently used in the treatment of epilepsy. These medications control different types of seizures.
Related QuestionsUC Davis Comprehensive Epilepsy Program - FAQ about epilepsyBefore treatment begins, physicians usually obtain an electroencephalogram (EEG). EEGs help to diagnose epilepsy, identify the type of epilepsy and identify the location in the brain where seizures start. EEGs show electrical activity in the brain and can show abnormal brain-cell function associated with epilepsy when the patient is not having seizures. It should be stressed that up to 50 percent of individuals with seizures might have normal EEGs between recurrences.Related Questions
Epilepsy - Frequently Asked questions about epilepsy, seizur...People with epilepsy can obtain treatment and information from a wide range of sources including family physicians, neurologists, neurology nurses, epileptologists and pediatricians. A variety of treatments are available, however, most physicians prefer long-term anti-epilepsy drug therapy over any other treatment. An estimated 30 percent of patients still experience seizures despite treatment.Related Questions
Penn Comprehensive Neuroscience Center: Services and Program...My patients often ask, "How many seizures is too many? Should I change my medications?" The answers to these questions are different for each patient. Optimal seizure control allows you to lead a normal, active life. If you think that you are having too many seizures, discuss this with your doctor. Uncontrolled seizures can result in limits on driving, loss of employment, deterioration in school performance, and loss of self-esteem.Related Questions
Epilepsy may be treated with drugs, surgery, or a special diet. Of these treatments, drug therapy is by far the most common, and is usually the first to be tried. A number of medications are currently used in the treatment of epilepsy. These medications control different types of seizures. People who have more than one type of seizure may have to take more than one kind of drug, although doctors try to control seizures with one drug if possible.Related Questions
Epilepsy - Frequently Asked QuestionsMost often, the first course is treatment is the use of one or more of the antiepileptic medications available today. The choice of which medication depends on the type of seizure(s) being treated, side effects of the medication of choice, the patient's age, other medical conditions, and so on. If after reasonable trials on the medications of choice, adequate seizure control is not obtained, alternative treatments may be discussed and considered.Related Questions
Frequently Asked Questions About EpilepsyThe majority of epileptic seizures are controlled with drug therapy, particularly anticonvulsant medications. The type of treatment prescribed will depend on several factors, including the type of epilepsy, the frequency and severity of the seizures, your age, overall health, and medical history. An accurate diagnosis of the type of epilepsy (not just the type of seizure, since most seizure types occur in different types of epilepsy) is critical to choosing the best treatment.Related Questions
FAQs: The University Comprehensive Epilepsy Center at The Un...Medicines known as antiepileptic drugs (AEDs),or anticonvulsants, help control seizures for about 80 percent of people with epilepsy. A patient might take more than one kind of AED; over time, if seizure frequency and severity subside, a doctor may permit a patient to stop taking the medicine. Some newer AEDs are available that minimize the unwanted side effects ? namely drowsiness ? common to the older drugs.Related Questions
EpilepsyMedicine controls seizures in many people with epilepsy. The goal is to find an effective drug that causes the fewest side effects. Once you find a medicine that works for you, take it exactly as prescribed. The best way to prevent more seizures is to keep the right amount of the drug in your body. To do that, you need to take the drug in the right dose and at the right times every day. If medicine alone does not control your seizures, your doctor may try one or more of these other treatments.Related Questions
Texas Department of State Health Services, Epilepsy ProgramPhysicians prefer the use of AEDS for the initial treatment. Surgery is becoming more common. The ketogenic (high fat, low carbohydrate) diet seems to work for some children. Should medications fail to control seizures in two years, a referral to a comprehensive epilepsy center for a thorough evaluation is the suggested course of action.Related Questions
What is Epilepsy?
Frequently Asked QuestionsEpilepsy is a chronic medical condition produced by temporary changes in the electrical function of the brain, causing recurrent seizures which affect awareness, movement, or sensation. "Recurrent" is a key word because a dog who has an isolated seizure does not have epilepsy. Also note that epilepsy is not a disease but rather a neurological disorder that affects the brain and shows itself in the form of seizures.
Related QuestionsEpilepsy Foundation-Frequently Asked QuestionsEpilepsy is a neurological condition that from time to time produces brief disturbances in the normal electrical functions of the brain. Normal brain function is made possible by millions of tiny electrical charges passing between nerve cells in the brain and to all parts of the body. When someone has epilepsy, this normal pattern may be interrupted by intermittent bursts of electrical energy that are much more intense than usual.Related Questions
UC Davis Comprehensive Epilepsy Program - FAQ about epilepsyEpilepsy is a brain disorder characterized by recurrent seizures. A seizure is a brief alteration of consciousness (level of awareness), muscle control, behavior or sensory perception. Seizures can last a few seconds to several minutes. Most seizures last less than 2 minutes. During a seizure, brain cells behave abnormally and show unusual repeated electrical discharges.Related Questions
Epilepsy - Frequently Asked questions about epilepsy, seizur...Epilepsy is a disorder that briefly interrupts the normal electrical activity of the brain. Normally, neurons, which are cells that carry electrical impulses, form a network allowing communication between the brain and rest of the body. Neurons "fire" or send electrical impulses toward surrounding cells, stimulating neighboring cells to fire.Related Questions
Epilepsy Information and Frequently Asked Questions: What Is...Epilepsy is a brain disorder in which people experience repeated seizures. Let’s start with the basics. Epilepsy is a neurological condition that causes the brain to produce sudden bursts of electrical energy. For the brain to function, there needs to be a balance between increased activity (excitation) and restraint (inhibition). When this balance is changed, a seizure may result.Related Questions
Is epilepsy ever contagious?
Epilepsy Foundation-Frequently Asked QuestionsNo, epilepsy is never contagious. You cannot catch epilepsy from someone else and nobody can catch it from you.
Related QuestionsWhat causes epilepsy?
Epilepsy Foundation-Frequently Asked QuestionsIn about seven out of ten people with epilepsy, no cause can be found. Among the rest, the cause may be any one of a number of things that can make a difference in the way the brain works. For example, head injuries or lack of oxygen during birth may damage the delicate electrical system in the brain.
Related QuestionsHow is epilepsy diagnosed?
Epilepsy Foundation-Frequently Asked QuestionsThe doctor's main tool in diagnosing epilepsy is a careful medical history with as much information as possible about what the seizures looked like and what happened just before they began. A second major tool is an electroencephalograph (EEG). This is a machine that records brain waves picked up by tiny wires taped to the head. Electrical signals from brain cells are recorded as wavy lines by the machine.
Related QuestionsWhat is epilepsy monitoring for?
Frequently asked questions about epilepsyEpilepsy monitoring is the use of simultaneous video-electroencephalography (EEG). Performed on an inpatient basis, video-EEG provides brainwave recordings simultaneous with videotaping of the patient. This technique has been called long-term monitoring. Epilepsy monitoring takes many forms including: prolonged standard EEG, ambulatory EEG monitoring and simultaneous video-EEG monitoring.
Related QuestionsWhat is lesional epilepsy?
UC Davis Comprehensive Epilepsy Program - FAQ about epilepsyIn some patients with long-standing epilepsy, the cause of the seizure may be slow-growing tumors, vascular malformations (an abnormal clump of blood vessels in the brain), infections or congenital abnormalities. These lesions are picked up on the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. Removal of a lesion may cure a patient's epilepsy. These patients are best evaluated at a comprehensive epilepsy center.
Related QuestionsWhy is epilepsy misunderstood?
Epilepsy - Frequently Asked questions about epilepsy, seizur...Witnessing a seizure, the primary manifestation of epilepsy, can be a frightening experience for someone who is unfamiliar with the disorder and can be perceived far worse than it actually is. This "fear" dates back to ancient times, when people thought that anyone who experienced a seizure was "possessed by demons". Even today misperceptions continue to influence public attitudes and behavior toward people with the disorder.
Related QuestionsWhat are the symptoms of epilepsy?
Epilepsy - Frequently Asked questions about epilepsy, seizur...According to the Epilepsy Foundation of America (EFA), many symptoms may indicate that a person has developed epilepsy , however only a physician can diagnose the condition. The symptoms include: occasional "fainting spells" in which bladder or bowel control is lost, followed by extreme fatigue While these symptoms may not always indicate epilepsy, if one or more is present, a medical examination is recommended.
Related QuestionsCan epilepsy be cured?
Epilepsy - Frequently Asked questions about epilepsy, seizur...Although medical science has made significant strides in recent years in understanding epilepsy, and surgery offers hope for a cure for some patients, for most a cure does not yet exist. However, the disorder can be treated, and people with epilepsy who suffer uncontrolled seizures and/or are dissatisified with their therapy should continue to work with their physician to seek an effective treatment program.
Related QuestionsIs epilepsy inherited?
FAQ | NYU Comprehensive Epilepsy CenterMost cases of epilepsy are not inherited, although some types have a genetic basis. Most of these types are easily controlled with medication. Epilepsy syndromes with a genetic basis: Primary Generalized Epilepsies, Benign Rolandic Epilepsy, Nocturnal Frontal Lobe Epilepsy, Familial Temporal Lobe Epilepsy, Benign Familial Neonatal Seizures and Benign Familial Infantile Spasms.
Related QuestionsWhat is epilepsy and what are the symptoms?
Penn Comprehensive Neuroscience Center: Services and Program...Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder characterized by recurrent unprovoked seizures. "Unprovoked" means that there is no immediate cause for the seizure, such as a fever, an infection of the brain, or head trauma. Nearly 10% of people will have a seizure during their lifetime; most of these are "provoked" seizures during an acute illness or condition. These people may never go on to have another seizure, and therefore do not have epilepsy.
Related QuestionsIs epilepsy genetic?
Penn Comprehensive Neuroscience Center: Services and Program...Some types of epilepsy run in families. If you have generalized epilepsy, your first-degree relatives (parents, siblings, and children) have about a four-fold increased risk for epilepsy. First-degree relatives of people with partial seizures have twice the risk of developing epilepsy as the general population. Although there is some increased risk, it is important to remember that the overall risk of epilepsy in other family members is still low.
Related QuestionsIs there a cure for epilepsy?
Penn Comprehensive Neuroscience Center: Services and Program...In some patients, seizures resolve on their own, and antiepileptic drugs can be stopped without the seizures returning. In most patients, medications suppress seizures, but the seizures may return when the medications are stopped. Epilepsy surgery is the only potential "cure" for seizures. Depending on where the seizures begin, epilepsy surgery can result in seizure freedom in 40-90% of patients.
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