Epilepsy is one of the most misunderstood disorders in healthcare today. About 2% of the population will experience a seizure during their lifetime. For patients who do experience seizures suddenly, not knowing when your next seizure will be, or what you may endure during the next episode can be life altering. Most individuals do not realize that seizure disorders do not always mimic what is seen in movies, and may involve no convulsing at all. Our team of specialists are trained in getting to the core of the seizure, regardless of the type or symptoms.
At NCD, we understand that the first step to lessening these uncertainties is getting actual answers about each individuals seizures. Understanding the cause of a seizure, or epilepsy, is the first step in the discovering what treatment works best to alleviate or control the symptoms.
Our practice specializes in consultation services, second opinions, point of care service and inpatient coverage support. Our clinic staff consists of physicians, advanced practice providers, medical assistants, neurological technologists and administrative support professionals. We are also in partnership with neurosurgeons for surgical consultations and treatment planning for advanced cases of epilepsy.
A seizure occurs when there is a sudden electrical disturbance in the brain. Depending on the type of a seizure, a person may temporarily have involuntary muscle movements and lose awareness or consciousness. The type of seizure a person experiences depends on where the seizure begins in the brain.
Generally, a person is diagnosed with epilepsy after two or more unprovoked seizures, or after a high risk of having another seizure is identified after an initial seizure. Provoked seizures—also known as acute symptomatic seizures—have a clear, immediate cause, such as a stroke or brain injury.
Epilepsy is a neurological condition characterized by spontaneous, repeated seizures. Seizures occur when there are abnormal electrical impulses in the brain. A single seizure does not necessarily mean that a person will develop epilepsy.
Seizures are the main symptom of epilepsy, but seizures don’t look and feel the same for everyone. Also, not every person that has a seizure will be diagnosed with Epilepsy. There are more than 30 different types of epileptic seizures. The type of seizure you experience depends on where the seizure begins in your brain and what caused this to happen. A partial seizure occurs when there are abnormal electrical impulses in only one area of the brain. General epileptic seizures occur when electrical impulses “storm” or spread through the brain. Generally speaking, these symptoms may be linked to or the primary symptom of a seizure:
If you are diagnosed with epilepsy, your doctor will usually recommend treatment with one or more anti-epilepsy medications. About two-thirds of people with epilepsy have good control of their seizures with medication, and they have few or no side effects.
If you have epilepsy that is not well controlled with medication or if you experience side effects from medication, you might be eligible for other treatments. These treatments include epilepsy surgery, brain stimulation devices, vagal nerve stimulation, and the ketogenic diet. The goal of epilepsy treatment is to be completely seizure free.
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Learn more about the testing available for seizures in our Neuro Testing Center.