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Are seizures dangerous to others?

Epilepsy Foundation-Frequently Asked Questions
Not usually. The overwhelming majority of seizures are either convulsions or brief alterations of consciousness during which movements are vague, non-threatening, and primitive. During these episodes, directed violence or any complex actions requiring organized thought are unlikely to occur. Clumsy, undirected violence is possible when people are restrained during a seizure, or during the period of confusion following a seizure.
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WHAT ARE SEIZURES?

Frequently Asked Questions
The terms epilepsy and seizure are often confined. On the one hand, a seizure is the resulting behavior or set of behaviors, characterized by an apparent alteration of responsiveness and/or, sensory, or autonomic dysfunction, caused by excessive neuronal discharges in the brain. A seizure is a single event. Epilepsy is recurrent seizure activity resulting from a primary discharge of aberrant neurons within the brain. The causes of seizures are numerous.
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What are seizures and how do they occur?

Penn Comprehensive Neuroscience Center: Services and Program...
A "seizure" is a transient event caused by abnormal excitability of all or part of the brain. The principal cells of the brain, or "neurons", use several different types of chemicals (called neurotransmitters) to communicate with each other. These chemical messages are translated into electrical signals, which allow neurons in different parts of the brain to work together and perform tasks: to move your arm, read a book, or tell a story.
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Can the seizures reoccur?

Penn Comprehensive Neuroscience Center: Services and Program...
Seizures can recur after successful epilepsy surgery in about 20-30% of patients, with times of recurrence ranging from 1 to more than 10 years. Most commonly, seizures recur after antiepileptic medications are stopped, and can be controlled again if medications are restarted. Less often, seizures recur even though the patient is still taking medications. Need an appointment? Request one online 24 hours/day, 7 days/week or call 800-789-PENN (7366) to speak to a referral counselor.
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Pacific Hills Neurosurgery
A seizure, or convulsion, can be a sudden, violent, uncontrollable contraction of a group of muscles caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain. A seizure can also be more subtle, consisting of only a brief "loss of contact" (victim seems to be daydreaming) or a repetitive body movement. Epileptic seizures can be classified into two broad groups—generalized and partial.
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Is it dangerous?

Vein Centers of Lake Norman, Vein Center Charlotte, Varicose...
Without special safety precautions, the laser can be dangerous. However, we ensure patient as well as health care worker safety by: 1. providing safety glasses for everyone in the room; 2. using the lowest effective settings possible; and 3. only allowing the doctor to perform the procedure as per the State Board of Medical Examiners. At the very low energy settings we use to treat spider veins, the danger is minimal. Treatment for vein problems have advanced dramatically over the past 5 years.
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The Inca Trail FAQ
Not especially. It's a three or four day walk in a fairly remote area. There are places where you could fall and hurt yourself, or even kill yourself if you really work at it, but unless you're very careless or clumsy it's not very likely. On the other hand, it's not a good place to have a medical emergency. If you have a tendency towards cardiac arrest, passing suddenly into a diabetic coma, epileptic fits or whatever, try to arrange for it to happen somewhere else.
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Cottonwood Gulch: Frequently Asked Questions
Cottonwood Gulch has been leading safe expeditions into the Southwest since 1926. In that time, no member of the expedition has sustained serious injury. We firmly believe that prevention is the best medicine: our staff instructors are hired and trained based on their demonstrated skills and experience in wilderness situations. We emphasize sound decision making skills in order to avoid the risk of being caught unprepared in the backcountry.
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Travel to Mongolia with Boojum Expeditions: Mongolia's Trave...
Yes. Any travel in remote terrain, especially on horseback, river rafting or kayaking on large bodies of water has it's inherent physical dangers. We cannot guarantee your safety; we would be irresponsible to do so and you would be naive to believe us. We can assure you that your comfort, safety and the quality of your experience are of paramount importance to us and we bring 20 years experience to every trip we run.
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My dog is on medication and still has frequent seizures. What can I do?

Frequently Asked Questions
If your dog has just started on medication, be patient. It frequently takes several adjustments in medications before the right dose and combination of medications are found. If your vet has tried both Phenobarbital and bromide and your dog still doesn't have good control, you should consider asking your vet for a referral to a veterinary neurologist who may try other second and third line medications.
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Do seizures get worse over time?

Frequently Asked Questions
Left untreated seizures may get worse over time. Studies have shown that early treatment of seizures results in better long term control of seizures. With early treatment, seizures should become less frequent and less severe.
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CAN SEIZURES BE CONTROLLED?

Frequently Asked Questions
Treatment of epileptic seizures is usually accomplished through medication management. Antiepileptic medications work by circulating in the blood stream at an optimal and steady therapeutic level to provide maximum seizure control. This therapeutic level is called the plasma drug level, and this level is routinely measured from an assay of the patient's blood. Steady plasma drug levels are best achieved by taking the antiepileptic medication as prescribed.
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Are seizures painful?

The Epilepsy in Young Children: What Kinds of Epilepsy Are T...
The seizure itself is usually not painful. Following a generalized, tonic-clonic seizure, however, some children may complain of muscle aches and a sore tongue. These complaints are related to the muscle jerking and tongue biting during the seizure.
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What is the difference between seizures and epilepsy?

Epilepsy Foundation-Frequently Asked Questions
Seizures are a symptom of epilepsy. Epilepsy is the underlying tendency of the brain to produce sudden bursts of electrical energy that disrupt other brain functions. Having a single seizure does not necessarily mean a person has epilepsy. High fever, severe head injury, lack of oxygen -- a number of factors can affect the brain enough to cause a single seizure.
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How can people guard against having seizures?

Epilepsy Foundation-Frequently Asked Questions
A person with epilepsy can help control his or her seizures by taking the prescribed medication regularly, maintaining regular sleep cycles, avoiding unusual stress, and working closely with his or her physician. Regular medical evaluation and follow-up visits are also important. However, seizures may occur even when someone is doing everything he or she is supposed to.
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How can I help control my seizures?

UC Davis Comprehensive Epilepsy Program - FAQ about epilepsy
It's important that prescribed antiseizure medicine is taken exactly as directed. Some medications such as ethosuximide and phenobarbital can be taken once a day. Other medications must be taken several times a day to be effective. If medication in the blood is too high or too low, it can fail to control seizures or it can produce unwanted side effects, such as an increase in seizure frequency. Keeping a seizure record can also be useful for diagnosis and following the effects of new treatment.
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Do seizures cause brain damage?

FAQ | NYU Comprehensive Epilepsy Center
Single brief seizures do not cause brain damage. Although tonic-clonic (grand mal) seizures, lasting longer than 20 minutes may injure the brain, there is no evidence that shorter seizures, lasting less than 20 minutes, cause permanent injury to the brain.
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How serious are seizures?

The overall life expectancy of people who have epilepsy EpilepsyA disorder characterized by transient but recurrent disturbances of brain function that may or may not be associated with impairment or loss of consciousness and abnormal movements or behavior.Closeis the same as for anybody else if they are otherwise pretty healthy. Some people whose epilepsy is caused by things like a stroke or a brain tumor may die sooner from those conditions, of course.
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Are seizures a medical emergency?

Epilepsy Foundation-Frequently Asked Questions
When a seizure occurs in a person who has epilepsy, and the seizure ends without injury after a minute or two, it is not usually considered a medical emergency, although the person should be asked a) if he or she has epilepsy, b) if he or she has fully recovered, and c) if he or she wants medical attention.
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Do people with seizures have a mental illness?

Epilepsy Foundation-Frequently Asked Questions
Epilepsy is not a mental illness. It is a temporary change in the electrical function of an otherwise normal brain. Some people with mental illness also have seizures, and some people with seizures also have mental illness, but the two conditions are not the same.
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How can you tell the difference between seizures and intoxication?

Epilepsy Foundation-Frequently Asked Questions
Seizures have a sudden beginning, a progression of symptoms, and a gradual recovery. Intoxication begins slowly and takes much longer to subside. Sometimes an intoxicated person will have a seizure, in which case there will be a strong odor of alcohol in addition to the seizure-cased behavior. In that case, the seizure will resolve, but return to full consciousness will not be as obvious. Whatever the cause, the seizure needs to be handled appropriately.
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Can seizures can be beneficial?

Rapid Recovery Hyperbarics : FAQ
I am not aware of any evidence that seizures improve patients but it IS a sign of activity and therefore they may be a sign of recovery. Note that seizures may result from the withdrawal of drugs e.g. baclofen Ref Barker I, Grant IS. Convulsions after abrupt withdrawal of baclofen. Lancet 1982;ii:556-7. He also asked if when I recommended in my post that oxygen should be given post seizure if I meant be under hyperbaric conditions. Oxygen given immediately at high flow (i.e.
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Seizures are a symptom of epilepsy. Epilepsy is the underlying tendency of the brain to produce sudden bursts of electrical energy that disrupt other brain functions. Having a single seizure does not necessarily mean a person has epilepsy. High fever, severe head injury, lack of oxygen--a number of factors can affect the brain enough to cause a single seizure.
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How dangerous is the disease?

Sars - FAQ - Frequently Asked Question
Between 80 percent and 90 percent of patients get better on their own in about a week. The other 10 percent to 20 percent get worse, with many ending up in intensive care and requiring mechanical ventilators to help them breathe. About 6 percent die.
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IS YOGA DANGEROUS?

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Some advanced techniques of Yoga can be dangerous if practiced without proper preparation and the guidance of a qualified teacher. Fortunately, such techniques are generally inaccessible to unprepared students. For this reason, it is very important to respect the process of initiation and transmission of yogic teachings.
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