Some clues on epilepsy

Dear editor, I would like through your paper to tell the general public about the disease of Epilepsy.

Monday, April 07, 2008

Dear editor,

I would like through your paper to tell the general public about the disease of Epilepsy.

It is so scaring and very few know about its causes for example. Epilepsy is a general term that refers to a tendency to have recurrent seizures. There are various types of seizures. People with diagnosed epilepsy often have only one type of seizure, although some experience more than one type. The term "epilepsy" can be used interchangeably with "seizure disorder." Epilepsy is not contagious and poses no risk to others. A seizure occurs when abnormal electrical activity in the brain causes an involuntary change in body movement or function, sensation, awareness, or behaviour. A seizure can last from a few seconds to a few minutes. There are more than 20 different types of seizures. These types can be broadly classified into two groups: 1) primary generalized seizures and 2) partial seizures.

Symptoms experienced by a person during a seizure depend on where in the brain the disturbance in electrical activity occurs. A person having a tonic-chronic seizure may cry out, lose consciousness, and fall to the ground, and have rigidity and muscle jerks. A person having a complex partial seizure may appear confused or dazed and will not be able to respond to questions or direction. Some people, however, have seizures that are not noticeable to others. Sometimes, the only clue that a person is having an absence seizure is rapid blinking or a few seconds of staring into space.

Kicukiro