Search: 05/2013
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Triggers
Seizure eTraining Slide 16
Some people who have epilepsy have no special seizure triggers, while others are able to recognize things in their lives that do affect their seizures. Generally, the most frequent cause of an unexpected seizure is failure to take the medication as prescribed.Other factors include ingesting substances, hormone fluctuations, stress, photosensitivity, sleep and wake cycles, hormonal fluctuations and menstrual cycles, excessive use and withdrawal from alcohol or drugs, illness or fever, adding or removing prescription medications or supplements can trigger seizures, and should ther
Status Epilepticus
Seizure eTraining Slide 15
Most seizures end after a few moments or a few minutes. If
seizures are prolonged, (more than 5 minutes), or occur in a
series, there is an increased risk of status epilepticus (a
continuous state of seizure or non-stop seizure)
Status epilepticus is a medical emergency. It requires hospital
treatment to bring the seizures under control.
Complex Partial Seizures
Seizure eTraining Slide 13
- 1 to 2 minutes
- May have aura (or warning – most typical is sensation in stomach)
- Automatisms (such as lip smacking, picking at clothes, fumbling)
- Unaware of environment
- Actions and movements are unorganized, confused, and unfocused
- Amnesia for seizure events
- May wander
- Sleepy after episode
Simple Partial Seizures
Seizure eTraining Slide 12
- 30-60 seconds
- No loss of consciousness
- Sudden jerking
- Starts with hand and moves to arm, leg, or side of body
- Sensory phenomena
- Transient weakness or loss of sensation
Focal aka Partial Seizures
Seizure eTraining Slide 11
Although partial seizures affect different physical, emotional, or sensory functions of the brain, they have some things in common:
Absence Seizures
Seizure eTraining Slide 10
- No aura
- Begins and ends abruptly (few seconds)
- Brief myoclonic jerking of the eyelids or facial muscles
- Staring into space
- Lapse of awareness
- Prompt recovery
More common in children than in adults, absence seizures almost always start between ages 4 and 12 years. They rarely begin after age 20.
Tonic-Clonic Seizures
Seizure eTraining Slide 9
a) The tonic phase: There is a cry and loss of consciousness
b) Arms flex up then extend in and remain rigid for a few seconds.
c) The clonic phase: Series of jerking movements take place as muscles contract and relax together. The jerking will slow down and will eventually stop.
d) Place on side to aid breathing and to keep the airway clear.
Generalized Tonic-Clonic Seizures
Seizure eTraining Slide 8
Can have one symptom Tonic or Clonic, or a mixture of both Tonic-Clonic
Tonic seizures cause stiffening of muscles of the body, generally those in the back, legs, and arms. Clonic seizures cause repeated jerking movements of muscles on both sides of the body. Tonic-clonic seizures cause a mixture of symptoms, including stiffening of the body and repeated jerks of the arms and/or legs as well as loss of consciousness. Tonic-clonic seizures are sometimes referred to by an older term: grand mal seizures.
A person having a generalized tonic-clonic seizure:
Most Common Types Of Seizures
Seizure eTraining Slide 7
There are many different types of seizures. People may experience just one type or more than one. The kind of seizure a person has depends on which part and how much of the brain is affected by the electrical disturbance that produces seizures.
Types of Seizures include two broad groups:
Primary Generalized Seizures: affects both sides of the brain
- Tonic-clonic
- Absence
Focal aka Partial Seizures : affects one side of the brain