Epilepsy

Epilepsy is a neurological disorder that causes abnormal electrical activity in the brain. This abnormal brain activity causes seizures, loss of awareness, and changes in behavior or senses.

Epilepsy can develop from an illness or injury or abnormal brain development. However, the exact cause of epilepsy isn’t always known.

Epilepsy symptoms depend on the area of your brain where the abnormal activity is happening. Common epilepsy symptoms include:

• Staring
• Muscle stiffness
• Temporary confusion
• Loss of consciousness
• Change in mood, behavior, or personality
• Muscle twitching or spasms

In most cases, epilepsy symptoms are the same during each episode.

The Sunset Neurological & Psychiatry Group team conducts thorough exams when you come in with concerns about epilepsy. They review your symptoms and medical history and complete a physical and neurological exam.

They also run blood tests to look for infections or genetic conditions that might explain your seizure activity. The team does an electroencephalogram (EEG) to identify the area of the brain where abnormal electrical activity is happening and diagnose epilepsy.

An EEG records your brain’s electrical activity. It’s completely noninvasive. If you have epilepsy, an EEG can show abnormal brain waves without seizure activity. An EEG might also determine if you have focal or generalized seizures.

If abnormal electrical brain activity only affects one area of your brain, you have focal seizures. Focal seizure symptoms vary and can but don’t always cause loss of consciousness.

If your seizure activity involves all areas of your brain, you have generalized seizures. There are six kinds of generalized seizures that cause a range of symptoms, like bouts of staring, muscle stiffness, and loss of consciousness.

The highly experienced neurologists at Sunset Neurological & Psychiatry Group customize treatment for epilepsy based on what kind you have and how severe the seizure activity is.

Initial treatment can include anti-seizure medication. Most people experience significant improvement in seizure activity after taking anti-seizure drugs.

If medications fail to improve your epilepsy symptoms, the team might suggest other treatments. These treatments include implanting an electrical brain stimulator, a device similar to a pacemaker that resets your brain’s electrical activity, preventing seizures.

For certain forms of epilepsy in children, the team could suggest the ketogenic diet, a very low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet that’s been shown to improve seizure activity.

For expert epilepsy care from an experienced team, call Sunset Neurological & Psychiatry Group today