If you suffer from epilepsy, you suffer from seizures in which there is a disturbance in the electrical conduction of the brain. An attack is often characterized by a person starting to jerk violently and losing consciousness for a moment. There are also forms of attacks where the symptoms are less severe, in which case a person can remain conscious and it does not always have to be accompanied by shocks. If you have seizures, the doctor will try to make a diagnosis and also investigate which form of epilepsy you have.
What epilepsy means
Someone who suffers from epileptic seizures has a disturbance in electrical conduction in the brain. A kind of short circuit occurs, as it were. The classic image is that someone falls to the ground, starts shaking violently and is briefly unconscious. An attack can also be less intense, whereby a person simply remains conscious or is less aware of his surroundings without the body jerking. Epilepsy can have a significant impact on life.
Research
If you suffer from seizures, the doctor will first check whether epilepsy is present. If this is the case, he will conduct further research to determine which form of epilepsy you have and whether a cause can be identified. The following factors play an important role when conducting research:
- Attack description (anamnesis)
- EEG research
- Imaging examination (MRI)
Attack description
The doctor would like a description of the attack. Usually the patient cannot tell themselves, but someone who witnessed the attack can. This information can indicate what type of attack it is. The questions the doctor asks include:
- Did you feel an attack coming?
- What were you doing when the attack started?
- Do you remember anything about the attack?
- Which body parts were jerking?
- How long does an attack last?
- How do you feel after an attack?
- Do you hurt yourself during an attack?
- Do you fall asleep after an attack?
- At what time of day does the attack occur?
- How often do you have an attack?
Physical neurological examination
The doctor will perform a physical examination, during which neurological functions will be checked. He tests reflexes and memory. He will also pay attention to the way you speak. An abnormality in this can help make a diagnosis. It can indicate something about the cause of an attack.
EEG
An EEG (electroencephalogram) helps determine the type of epilepsy you have. A limitation of an EEG is that it only records electrical activities of the outer part of the brain. It cannot measure the electrical currents deeper in the brain. Many epileptic seizures originate in the temporal lobe, which is located deeper. If a normal EEG is not sufficient, a sleep EEG can be chosen. This is done during sleep, preferably during natural sleep. Sometimes long-term registration is necessary to form a good picture. That could take longer than a day.
MRI
An MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) uses magnetic waves to create very detailed images of the brain. If you are not allowed to use an MRI scanner, for example because you have a pacemaker, a CT scan is sometimes chosen.
Heredity
In some people with epilepsy, heredity plays a role. This may also be important if you want to have children and you would like to know whether your child may inherit a predisposition to epilepsy. Genetic research is carried out in the Clinical Genetics department of an academic hospital.
Abnormalities in blood
Epilepsy can have a cause outside the brain. For example, the composition of the blood may not be good and, for example, it may contain too little calcium, magnesium or sugar. If it turns out that the blood is not good, you may not have epilepsy. The attacks will then disappear when the blood values return to normal.
Cardiac arrhythmias
Certain heart problems can cause seizures similar to epilepsy. The heart beats due to electrical stimulation. If this does not work properly, heart rhythm disturbances can occur. The heart can race, disrupting the blood supply. This can lead to an electrical disorder in the brain.
read more
- Epilepsy due to brain damage: symptoms and causes
- Epilepsy: two different main types
- Epilepsy: the consequences and the influence on your life
- Treating epilepsy with medications
- Epilepsy: what does a seizure mean and what are the symptoms?
