I am not a physician Please consult a doctor before starting or stopping any medication, exercising, or changing your treatment routine. I am a woman who suffers from epilepsy, and the partner of someone who also has epilepsy. I hope that by telling my story and educating the public about Epilepsy and seizures we can cause positive change.
As you know, this November is Epilepsy Awareness Month.
A seizure is defined as:
Think of seizures as being a lightening storm in your brain. Some seizures cause you to shake, some don't. The ones that cause you to shake are called convulsive seizures. Some seizures cause you to stare off in space, while some cause you to smack your lips over and over. Are all of these seizures dangerous on the person having them, and if they are driving, riding an escalator or crossing a street? Yes.
People seem to think that only convulsive seizures matter, or that only convulsive seizures can damage your brain. That is not true. Any seizure can damage your brain permanently, and many people a year die from epilepsy and epilepsy related causes.
Seizures can be scary, especially your first few you have. Seizures are also scary when you see someone you love going through it, knowing there isn't anything you can do to just take away the seizure. After having a seizure, you feel like you've been beaten and kicked around by three grown men. After seizures you may feel so exhausted you can't move, even if you finally stopped seizing in a very uncomfortable position.
The topic of seizures and epilepsy is very complex, and over the rest of November, I will be going more in depth on different subjects having to do with epilepsy and seizures.
(1) Emedicine: Epilepsy. http://www.emedicinehealth.com/epilepsy/article_em.htm
(2) Mayo Clinic: Epilepsy. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/epilepsy/DS00342
As you know, this November is Epilepsy Awareness Month.
A seizure is defined as:
abnormal, disorderly discharging of the brain's nerve cells, resulting in a temporary disturbance of motor, sensory, or mental function. (1)Epilepsy is defined as:
a disorder that results from the surges in electrical signals inside the brain, causing recurring seizures. (2)Basically, for the most part, you have epilepsy if you have recurrent seizures.
Think of seizures as being a lightening storm in your brain. Some seizures cause you to shake, some don't. The ones that cause you to shake are called convulsive seizures. Some seizures cause you to stare off in space, while some cause you to smack your lips over and over. Are all of these seizures dangerous on the person having them, and if they are driving, riding an escalator or crossing a street? Yes.
People seem to think that only convulsive seizures matter, or that only convulsive seizures can damage your brain. That is not true. Any seizure can damage your brain permanently, and many people a year die from epilepsy and epilepsy related causes.
Seizures can be scary, especially your first few you have. Seizures are also scary when you see someone you love going through it, knowing there isn't anything you can do to just take away the seizure. After having a seizure, you feel like you've been beaten and kicked around by three grown men. After seizures you may feel so exhausted you can't move, even if you finally stopped seizing in a very uncomfortable position.
The topic of seizures and epilepsy is very complex, and over the rest of November, I will be going more in depth on different subjects having to do with epilepsy and seizures.
(1) Emedicine: Epilepsy. http://www.emedicinehealth.com/epilepsy/article_em.htm
(2) Mayo Clinic: Epilepsy. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/epilepsy/DS00342
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