What is Epilepsy?: 

Epilepsy is a disorder of the brain, when electric waves in your brain flare they can cause a seizure. Epilepsy is a recurrence of these flares in your brain waves with no outside cause. Not all seizures are epilepsy, if they are caused by something other than your brain waves than that seizure is not classified as an epileptic disorder. 

Causes:

Epilepsy usually develops in teens and young adults and can be genetic or develop through brain injury or drug usage, but there are also cases of unknown causes of epilepsy. A person can experience multiple types of seizures, and they can evolve as they age.

Types of Seizures:

There are multiple types of epileptic seizures that happen in different parts of the brain.

Generalized onset seizures happen in the majority of the brain. There are generalized onset motor seizures and nonmotor seizures. Motor seizures include the typical spasming you see on TV, jerking movements, also known as tonic-clonic or formerly known as a Grand-Mal seizure. 

Absence seizures, or generalized non-motor seizures, typically have no known or uncontrollable movement of the body. Most people who experience absence seizures find seconds or even minutes have passed without knowing it. They can come in different forms, with a loss of bodily function and dropping to the ground, or with your body still functioning but being completely unaware of what’s happening. 

Focal onset seizures take place in a certain area of your brain, depending on what type of seizures you have. Focal seizures can also include absence or tonic-clonic seizures, but they are more classified as aware or non-aware seizures, depending on whether a person knows what is happening or not. 

There are also multiple types of unclassified seizures. Many people experience slurring of words, feelings of auras (this is the feeling an epileptic person may or may not have before the arrival of a seizure, a warning of sorts), small jerking motions almost disguisable as muscle spasms, and small lapses of time in memory. For a more detailed explanation on all the different types of seizures, I suggest looking at the Epilepsy Foundation’s website: Types of Seizures- Epilepsy Foundation. 

Seizure Thresholds: 

Everyone has a seizure threshold in their brain, think of the threshold as an imaginary line in the brain at a different and movable height. Electric brain waves can fluctuate and move up and down depending on what is happening in and around a person. Different triggers can cause brain waves to rise and lower. If brain waves pass the threshold, a seizure happens. There are ways to raise the threshold, like seizure medication, and there are many ways to lower the threshold. It differs person to person, but common instances are alcohol usage, stress, lack of sleep, overexertion on the body, flashing lights, and loud noises. Not everyone has the same trigger, and not every trigger will affect everyone with epilepsy in the same way. 

Side Effects of Epilepsy:

Epilepsy is not just about the seizures. SUDEP is one of the most dangerous side effects of epilepsy. SUDEP stands for Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy. With no other cause of death or injury, a person can die unexpectedly from a seizure with no prior knowledge or feeling. Epilepsy symptoms include memory loss, nerve pain, Auras even without seizures, and autonomic changes like overheating, sweating, or heart palpitations. One of the main psychological effects is anxiety. The fear of having a seizure is extreme and can cause paranoia that can then lead to other physical effects like gastrointestinal problems or muscle stiffness. 

Medication Affects:

There is no cure for epilepsy, but it is possible to live a normal life with this condition. Medication is possible to be weaned off as an adult, but typically it is taken for life. One of the most common seizure medications is Keppra. Keppra is a very effective seizure medication as long as there are no drastic side effects. For Keppra specifically, the main side effect is rage; some people on Keppra experience sudden and drastic rage and anger issues. Other side effects of medication, especially in women, are birth defects in children born to women with epilepsy; some women even become barren because of medication. 

Fear and Anxiety:

Going through life not knowing when you will lose control of your body is a terrifying experience. Living with the paranoia is hard and distressing, but learning to control the fear is needed to live a successful life. I don’t know if a fear-free life is possible with epilepsy, but it is possible to lessen the fear. Meditation, medication, and knowing and understanding one’s seizure triggers are key to not being afraid. Once you know how to manage your seizures most effectively, you can take precautions to help your life to its fullest. 

Causes:

Epilepsy usually develops in teens and young adults and can be genetic, can be developed through brain injury or drug usage, but there are also unknown causes of epilepsy being developed. A person can experience multiple types of seizures, and they can evolve as they age.

Caring for Yourself or a Person With Epilepsy: if you notice someone seizing, the most important things to remember are to call an ambulance, do not put anything in their mouth, and do not restrain them unless they are in danger of hurting themselves. Make sure to time the length of the seizure to let paramedics know. Someone with known epilepsy and common seizures should know the length of their regular seizures, but typically, under five minutes is not considered drastic.