Information on the epilepsy and its many forms?
I have tonic clonic, atonic, myoclonic and absence seizures. Does anyone have these types of epilepsy and how does it affect them? Can someone help me understand this all better?
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I don’t have epilepsy or any other seizure disorder but I may be able to help you understand these types of seizures.
Seizures are caused by sudden, abnormal electrical activity in the brain. There are two primary types – focal or partial seizures, with electrical activitiy in one area of the brain and generalized seizures with electrical acitivity in both sides of the brain. They can be mild or severe. They generally last just 30 seconds to about 2 or 3 minutes and cause no harm. But continued seizure activity can cause harm and if the seizures last more than 5 minutes, we call it status epilepticus. This requires medical intervention.
Tonic-clonic (T/C) are what used to be called grand mal seizures. Sometimes they are preceeded by an aura. An aura is a sensation that may be an odor (bread, roses, sewage), a sound (ringing), or sparkling lights. There may be a personality change just prior to a seizure. The person loses consiousness. There are muscle spasms, stiff legs, the eyes may roll back, there is drooling, clenched jaw. This is the ictal phase. If standing, the person will drop to the ground. After the seizure, the person will be drowsy and should be allowed to rest. This is the post-ictal phase. It’s not unusual for a person to urinate during or after a tonic-clonic seizure.
Atonic seizures are also called drop seizures. Atonic means without tone. A person will drop whatever they’re holding, lose all muscle tone and fall to the ground. They remain conscious. Drop seizures usually last about 15 seconds.
Myoclonic seizures typically involve one muscle or a group of muscles. They look like jerky movements that might involve the arms, legs, neck or shoulders. They usually occur on both sides of the body and can progress to T/C or absence seizures. The patient is alert and awake. These seizures are also known as juvenile myoclonic seizures because they often start in childhood.
Absence seizures usually last between 10 to 20 seconds. They occur suddenly without warning. A person may be talking and will suddenly stop and stare off into the distance. If the seizure is prolonged, the eyes may roll up somewhat. They don’t fall down. They have no awareness of this and will not respond to you. When the seizure is over, they resume their normal behavior without ever having known they just had a seizure. Absence seizures can take place as many as 50 times a day.
The type of aura someone has depends on the area of the brain involved. Different areas of the brain control sight, sound and smell.
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