Epilepsy
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Epilepsy
What is epilepsy?
Epilepsy is a long-term brain condition where a person has repeated seizures (fits). It is thought to affect about 3 in every 100 Australians.
Having just one seizure is not considered to be epilepsy — about half the people who have one seizure never have another seizure.
Epilepsy is not one single condition. There are a range of different conditions that can cause seizures.
Epilepsy treatment varies depending on the type and severity of the condition. It often involves medication to help control seizures, but in some cases, other treatments such as surgery, dietary changes, or nerve stimulation may be necessary.
Seizures usually last 1 to 3 minutes. If someone has a seizure that lasts for more than 5 minutes, call an ambulance on triple zero (000). If you see someone having a seizure, you can go to Epilepsy Action Australia’s seizure first aid resources.
Epilepsy Treatment in Brisbane
Epilepsy is a brain condition that causes seizures. In Australia, there are lots of treatment options to help control seizures! Most people find relief with the best seizure medication, but there are also special diets, surgery, and devices that can help. If you have epilepsy, talk to your doctor to find the best treatment plan for you.
What are the symptoms of epilepsy?
The symptom of epilepsy is seizures (fits). These are episodes of changed electrical activity in the brain and can vary a lot depending on the part of the brain involved.
Seizures can cause symptoms like loss of consciousness (passing out), unusual jerking movements (convulsions) as well as other unusual feelings, sensations and behaviours.
There are many different types of seizures. Generalised seizures involve the whole brain and so the whole body is affected. Focal seizures involve only part of the brain.
Generalised tonic-clonic seizures
Previously known as ‘grand mal seizures’, these types of seizures are the most well recognised. The seizure starts with a sudden loss of consciousness, the body then becomes stiff followed by jerking of the muscles. Turning red or blue, tongue-biting and loss of bladder control are common. Confusion, drowsiness, memory loss, headache and agitation can happen on regaining consciousness.
Absence seizures
Absence seizures were previously known as ‘petit mal seizures’, these types of seizures usually start in childhood, but can happen in adults. These seizures are brief and involve staring, loss of expression, unresponsiveness and stopping activity. Sometimes eye blinking or upward eye movements are seen. The person usually recovers straight away and continues their previous activity, without remembering the seizure.
Focal seizures
Previously known as ‘partial seizures’, start in one area of the brain and affect the parts of the body controlled by that area of the brain. The seizure may involve unusual movements, feelings, sensations, or behaviours. People can have different levels of consciousness during focal seizures.
Febrile convulsions
Febrile convulsions are common seizures that happen in about 3 in 100 healthy children up to 6 years old. The seizures are associated with an illness causing a fever, like a viral infection and are generally harmless.
This is usually dealt with by treating the seizure if necessary, and treating the cause of the fever.
Children who have febrile convulsions have a similar risk of developing epilepsy to most people, if they don’t have any other risk factors for epilepsy.
How is epilepsy diagnosed?
A diagnosis of epilepsy is based on your history of seizures. Your doctor will ask you what you can remember and any symptoms you may have before the seizures happen, like feeling strange or any other warning signs.
It may be useful to talk with anyone who saw your seizure and ask them what they saw, especially if you can’t remember the seizure.
Your doctor may also do tests like blood tests, an EEG (electroencephalogram) and scans of the brain (like a CT scan or an MRI).
Even with normal findings on your EEG and brain scans, you may still have epilepsy. But, abnormal findings can help classifying the type of epilepsy involved.
If your child or someone you know has a seizure, it can be helpful to record it on your mobile phone. This can help your doctor make a more accurate diagnosis.
How is epilepsy treated?
Most people with epilepsy can control their seizures with antiepileptic medicines and by avoiding triggers. The type of medicines you need depends on things like how old you are and what types of seizures you are having. Many antiepileptic medicines need blood tests to make sure the levels of medicine in your blood are not too low or too high or cause other medical problems.
For the treatment of more complex epilepsies, referral to comprehensive epilepsy treatment centres like North Brisbane Neurology Clinic for consideration of more advanced therapies could be considered.
Epilepsy Treatment
Can epilepsy be prevented?
You can help prevent seizures by taking your epilepsy medication and avoiding triggers. Triggers often include:
- Lack of sleep
- Missed or too much
- Antiepileptic medication
- Physical and emotional stress
- Hormonal changes due to Menstruation (periods)
- Fever
- Alcohol or drug use
- Flashing lights
- Caffeine
- Missing meals
- Having an infection
- Vomiting, diarrheoa or Constipation
- Allergies
- Severe changes in temperature
Complications of epilepsy
Having epilepsy puts you at higher risk of injury. During a seizure you might fall, knock yourself, or breathe in food or saliva. You should avoid jobs using heavy machinery, working at heights or under water. You may also be stopped from driving if your seizures are not controlled. Precautions may be needed around water, like when swimming or bathing.
Children with epilepsy may find it harder to learn or to concentrate.
Epilepsy can affect your life and you will need to pay more attention to your health. You may feel anxious or depressed when you are first diagnosed. To read more about staying healthy and avoiding complications, visit the Epilepsy Action Australia website for epilepsy treatment.
If you get pregnant, inform us about adjusting your medication.
Resources and support
The National Epilepsy Line is an Australian telephone (1300 37 45 37) and email (epilepsy@epilepsy.org.au) service you can use to talk with a registered nurse with special training in epilepsy management. The nurse will help answer your questions and can refer you to other services for more help.
You can find more information on epilepsy treatment on these websites:
