The chances of an epileptic seizure are exaggerated at a party with strobes, computer graphics and drugs. It could happen to you, or any of your friends or even the person dancing next to you. However, if handled correctly, the danger soon passes.
Causes Epilepsy occurs when nerve cells in the brain fire electrical impulses at a rate of up to four times higher than normal. This causes a sort of electrical storm in the brain, known as a seizure. A pattern of repeated seizures is referred to as epilepsy. Medication controls seizures for the majority of patients, who are otherwise healthy and able to live normal lives.
For some individuals with epilepsy, stimulus-sensitive or reflex-attack seizures are most commonly triggered by visual stimuli, such as strobe lights and even some computer graphics.
Most seizures occur when there are repetitive, high-intensity, multicolored or white flashes; appearance of line patterns; rolling or flickering patterns or swift displacements of images across the screen.
Fatigue and sleep deprivation may also be contributing factors. Epilepsy is in no way contagious. In most cases, Epilepsy is not inherited. Epilepsy can be the result of an infection or disease. Alcohol can increase the tendency to have a seizure. Also, some drugs like ecstasy, cocaine and amphetamines, can cause seizures. Some prescription medications when taken in large doses can also bring on seizures.
Epilepsy is a chronic condition of recurrent unprovoked seizures. Isolated seizures and provoked seizures (e.g., drug or alcohol induced) are not Epilepsy even though the events are real seizures. There are many types of non-epileptic seizures. Non-epileptic seizures differ from epileptic seizures in that there is usually no evidence of abnormal electrical activity in the brain after the seizure, and they do not occur repeatedly. Some of the more common causes of non-epileptic seizures are low blood sugar, fainting, heart disease, stroke, migraine headaches, kinked blood vessels, narcolepsy, withdrawal, sleep depravation and extreme stress or anxiety.
Recognising a seizure:
There are two major kinds of seizures known as a "partial" and "generalized". Partial seizures can cause a range of unusual sensations including sudden, jerky movements of one body part, distortions in hearing or seeing, stomach discomfort, or a sudden sense of fear. Consciousness is not impaired. Generalized absence seizures are characterized by 5 to 15 second lapses in consciousness. During this time the person appears to be staring into space and the eyes may roll upwards.
The tonic-clonic seizure is a generalized convulsion involving two phases. In the tonic phase, the individual loses consciousness and falls, and the body becomes rigid. In the clonic period, the limbs jerk and twitch. After the seizure, consciousness is regained slowly.
While the tonic-clonic seizure is the most visible, obvious type of Epilepsy, it is not the most common. Partial seizures are more frequent.
Dealing with a seizure:
During a partial seizure do NOT restrain the person. Protect them by moving sharp or hot objects away. If wandering occurs, stay with the person and talk quietly.
During a tonic-clonic seizure do the following:
* Keep a cool head and calm others around you. You cannot stop a seizure once it has started. Let the seizure run its course. Do not try to revive the person.
* Ease the person to the floor and loosen clothing.
* Try to remove any hard, sharp, or hot objects that might injure the person. It may be necessary to place a cushion or soft item under their head.
* Turn the person on his or her side, so that the saliva can flow from the mouth.* Do NOT put anything in the person's mouth.
* After the seizure the person should be allowed to rest or to sleep if necessary.
* After resting most people carry on as before. If the person is not at home and still seems groggy, weak, or confused, it may be better to accompany them home.
* If the person undergoes a series of convulsions, with each successive one occurring before he or she has fully recovered consciousness, or a single seizure lasting longer than 10 minutes, you should immediately seek medical assistance.
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