What is the difference between epileptic and seizure?
Seizures are individual occurrences of abnormal electrical activity in the brain. There are many causes of seizures, including singular events like a medication reaction. Epilepsy, on the other hand, is a chronic neurologic disorder that causes repeated seizure activity.
What part of the brain is responsible for epileptic seizures?
The temporal lobes are the areas of the brain that most commonly give rise to seizures. The mesial portion (middle) of both temporal lobes is very important in epilepsy — it is frequently the source of seizures and can be prone to damage or scarring.
What happens to your brain when you have a grand mal seizure?
Grand mal seizures occur when the electrical activity over the whole surface of the brain becomes abnormally synchronized. The brain’s nerve cells normally communicate with each other by sending electrical and chemical signals across the synapses that connect the cells.
Can a person have seizures without being epileptic?
Some people experience symptoms similar to those of an epileptic seizure but without any unusual electrical activity in the brain. When this happens it is known as a non-epileptic seizure (NES). NES is most often caused by mental stress or a physical condition.
Why do you bite your tongue during a seizure?
Nighttime seizures are a common cause of tongue biting. Those with epilepsy lose control of their bodies during a seizure. This may cause them to unconsciously bite down on their tongue. Usually, bites occur on the tip and sides of the tongue.
Which part of the nervous system is affected by epilepsy?
Epilepsy is typically associated with symptoms of seizures. As such, the primary area that the condition affects is the central nervous system. The brain acts as the central hub in the body. Here, all voluntary and involuntary movements are controlled.
What is a seizure that occurs in both halves of the brain?
Generalized onset seizures: These seizures affect both sides of the brain or groups of cells on both sides of the brain at the same time. This term was used before and still includes seizures types like tonic-clonic, absence, or atonic to name a few.
Why do seizures occur?
A seizure occurs when one or more parts of the brain has a burst of abnormal electrical signals that interrupt normal brain signals. Anything that interrupts the normal connections between nerve cells in the brain can cause a seizure.
Do epileptic seizures damage the brain?
Most types of seizures do not cause damage to the brain. However, having a prolonged, uncontrolled seizure can cause harm. Because of this, treat any seizure lasting over 5 minutes as a medical emergency.
What happens in the brain during a seizure?
Anything that the brain does normally can also occur during a seizure when the brain is activated by seizure discharges. Some people call this activity “electrical storms” in the brain. Seizures have a beginning, middle, and end. Not all parts of a seizure may be visible or easy to separate from each other.
What happens during the ictal phase of a seizure?
The middle of a seizure is often called the ictal phase. This correlates with the electrical seizure activity in the brain. As the seizure ends, the postictal phase occurs – this is the recovery period after the seizure.
What is the difference between an epileptic and a generalized seizure?
An epileptic seizure occurs when there is uncontrolled electrical activity between neurons in the brain. Generalized seizures affect the entire brain. Generalized tonic-clonic seizures cause a loss of consciousness and sometimes convulsions in the patient.
How long before a seizure do you Know It is coming?
Some people are aware of the beginning of a seizure, possibly as much as hours or days before it happens. On the other hand, some people may not be aware of the beginning and therefore have no warning.