How Do I Know If I Have Epilepsy?

The most terrifying question you’ll ever ask

Epilepsy is a neurological disorder that affects people of all ages. It is characterized by having more than one seizure. Seizures are caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain.

If you’re having a seizure, it is important to seek medical help right away- if you know you’re having a seizure. When I first started having seizures, no one knew what they were. But that’s a story for another day 😉

Let’s jump into:

What Is Epilepsy?

Epilepsy is a neurological disorder that can be genetic or idiopathic( fancy talk for no one knows why you have it).

Epilepsy is considered genetic if it is passed down from family members, which is roughly 30–40% of cases.

Epilepsy can also be caused by a genetic mutation, head injury, stroke, or another medical condition- even things as insane sounding as a snake bite that caused swelling around the brain.

Types of Seizures

There are two types of seizures we’re going to talk broadly about today, although we’ll be breaking down seizure types more in the future.

Today we’ll discuss generalized and partial seizures. Generalized seizures occur when the whole brain is affected. Partial seizures occur when only one part of the brain is affected.

Not too hard, right?

Symptoms of a Seizure

The symptoms of a seizure depend on the type of seizure.

Generalized seizures can cause loss of consciousness, enuresis(loss of bladder control), convulsions, muscle rigidity, and vomiting. Partial seizures can cause odd sensations, muscle twitching, and changes in behavior, some of which are very hard to pick up on like staring off into space.

Both types of seizures are usually, but not always, followed by what’s called a post-ictal state in which the person with epilepsy will ask the same questions over and over in a Groundhog Day manner, feel exhaustion, and then it may happen all…

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