![]() Vagal nerve stimulation for refractory epilepsy: A brief review. ![]() The epilepsies and seizures: Hope through research.You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy. Healthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations. Increased age and concurrent health conditions can make a prognosis worse. People who are diagnosed with epilepsy before age 12 generally have a better prognosis and may even grow out of the condition in adulthood. You can be diagnosed with epilepsy at any age, and while it can be controlled for many, it’s usually a lifelong condition.Ī number of factors can affect your prognosis with epilepsy including: When your seizures are caused by epilepsy, it can be more difficult to get to the root of the problem. If you have seizures because of drug or alcohol use, liver or kidney problems that lead to electrolyte imbalances, or are taking medications that can cause seizures, work with your doctor to resolve the underlying condition. How well your seizures are managed will depend a bit on what is causing them. What’s the outlook for people with seizures? You may also need to make lifestyle changes, like refraining from alcohol and drug use. There are certain diets, like the ketogenic diet, that appear to have some impact on seizure control. Small electrical impulses are sent from the stimulator to the brain and have been found to be very effective in controlling seizure activity. This is a device that can be implanted under the skin in your chest to act as a pacemaker for the brain. This treatment often depends on where that area is located and what other functions that area controls. If your doctors are able to pinpoint a specific part of your brain that is causing the seizures, they may be able to do surgery to fix or remove this part of the brain. You may also have to switch medications every few years. Anti-epileptic medications are very helpful for most people with seizure disorders, although you may have to try a few different medications before finding the right solution. There are many seizure medications available. Here are a few of the treatment options that can be used to help control seizures: Roughly a third of people who experience seizures continue to have them despite using medications. ![]() There are several options for treating seizures, although few options can cure seizures. These seizures occur suddenly and for no known reason. This type of seizure has subtypes including: Generalized onset seizures affect multiple areas of the brain at the same time. The initial seizure may be considered an aura. Individuals having a secondary generalized seizure will have a focal seizure followed immediately by a generalized seizure. These seizures start in one area of the brain but spread to both sides. They may also have involuntary actions, called automatisms, like lip smacking, rapid blinking, gulping, or vocalizations like grunting or shouting. Individuals having a complex focal seizure may be unresponsive, staring into space. This type of seizure is the most common type to follow an aura. Auras may be a type of simple focal seizure. They may experience twitching in a specific area of the body, experience a strange taste or smell, or feel frozen. Individuals with simple focal seizures generally remain conscious and aware. These seizures occur in a small area of the brain and last a short period of time, 1 to 2 minutes. Seizures are classified into types: Focal onset seizuresįocal onset seizures, also called partial onset seizures, occur in one specific area of the brain.įocal seizures may be broken down to three main types: In other cases, the response is more severe, with violent jerking and shaking or a loss of consciousness. Sometimes, this response is barely noticeable, and a person may appear to stare out into space. Seizures are the body’s response to a change in the brain’s electrical system. There are a number of causes for seizures, including: To understand why seizure auras happen, you also need to understand what causes seizures. For some people, auras can be unusual things like a song, a color, or even a specific memory. Once created, that neural connection acts as a precursor or warning for any seizure that occurs on that specific pathway. Some experts believe that auras are caused when a seizure creates a new pathway in the brain that crosses an existing neural pathway for a feeling, sensation, smell, sight, or sound - and forms a permanent connection. Seizures and auras are both the result of a disruption in electrical signals in the brain. They can be detected during an electroencephalogram (EEG), a test that measures electrical signals in the brain. Some believe auras are simply a warning sign of a coming seizure, but many consider them small seizures.
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