Your urine may be tested to see how your body is reacting to the medicine. Electroencephalogram EEG. An EEG is a procedure that records the brain's electrical activity. This is done by attaching electrodes to your scalp. This test is done to see how medicine is helping the electrical problems in your brain. This treatment sends small pulses of energy to the brain from one of the vagus nerves. This is a pair of large nerves in the neck. If you have partial seizures that are not controlled well with medicine, VNS may be an option.
VNS is done by surgically placing a small battery into the chest wall. Small wires are then attached to the battery and placed under the skin and around one of the vagus nerves.
The battery is then programmed to send energy impulses every few minutes to the brain. When you feel a seizure coming on, you may activate the impulses by holding a small magnet over the battery. In many cases, this will help to stop the seizure.
VNS can have side effects such as hoarse voice, pain in the throat, or change in voice. Surgery may be done to remove the part of the brain where the seizures are occurring. Or the surgery helps to stop the spread of the bad electrical currents through the brain. Surgery for epilepsy seizures is very complex.
It is done by a specialized surgical team. You may be awake during the surgery. The brain itself does not feel pain. If you are awake and able to follow commands, the surgeons are better able to check areas of your brain during the procedure.
Surgery is not an option for everyone with seizures. A seizure occurs when one or more parts of the brain has a burst of abnormal electrical signals that interrupt normal signals. There are many types of seizures. Each can cause different kinds of symptoms.
These range from slight body movements to loss of consciousness and convulsions. Health Home Conditions and Diseases Epilepsy. Focal partial seizures Focal seizures take place when abnormal electrical brain function occurs in one or more areas of one side of the brain. The 2 types of focal seizures include: Simple focal seizure The symptoms depend on which area of the brain is affected. Complex focal seizure This type of seizure often occurs in the area of the brain that controls emotion and memory function temporal lobe.
Generalized seizure A generalized seizure occurs in both sides of the brain. Types of generalized seizures include: Absence seizure This is also called petit mal seizure. Atonic seizure This is also called a drop attack. Error Include a valid email address. To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, and understand which information is beneficial, we may combine your email and website usage information with other information we have about you.
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Nerve cells neurons in the brain create, send and receive electrical impulses, which allow the brain's nerve cells to communicate. Anything that disrupts these communication pathways can lead to a seizure.
Some types of seizure disorders may be caused by genetic mutations. The most common cause of seizures is epilepsy. But not every person who has a seizure has epilepsy. Sometimes seizures may be caused or triggered by:.
Having a seizure can sometimes lead to circumstances that are dangerous for you or others. You might be at risk of:. Seizures care at Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Overview A seizure is a sudden, uncontrolled electrical disturbance in the brain. Latest on newly diagnosed epilepsy care Advice for the management of epilepsy Error Select a topic.
Skip to main content. Health Information Library. Helping a Person During a Seizure. Topic Overview If you see someone who is having a seizure , stay calm.
How to help during a seizure Protect the person from injury. Keep him or her from falling if you can, or try to guide the person gently to the floor. Try to move furniture or other objects that might injure the person during the seizure. If the person is having a seizure and is on the ground when you arrive, try to position the person on his or her side so that fluid can leak out of the mouth.
But be careful not to apply too much pressure to the person's body. Do not force anything, including your fingers, into the person's mouth. Do not try to hold down the person. This can cause injury, such as a dislocated shoulder.
How to help after a seizure Check the person for injuries. If you could not turn the person onto his or her side during the seizure, do so when the seizure ends and the person is more relaxed. If the person is having trouble breathing, use your finger to gently clear his or her mouth of any vomit or saliva. If this does not work, call for emergency help.
Loosen tight clothing around the person's neck and waist. Provide a safe area where the person can rest. Read more about the treatment options for epilepsy in the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke publication: Seizures and Epilepsy: Hope Through Research external icon. Many kinds of health providers treat people with epilepsy. Primary care providers such as family physicians, pediatricians, and nurse practitioners are often the first people to see a person with epilepsy who has new seizures.
These providers may make the diagnosis of epilepsy or they may talk with a neurologist or epileptologist. A neurologist is a doctor who specializes in the brain and nervous system.
An epileptologist is a neurologist who specializes in epilepsy. When problems occur such as seizures or side effects of medicine, the primary health provider may send the patient to a neurologist or epileptologists for specialized care. People who have seizures that are difficult to control or who need advanced care for epilepsy may be referred to an epilepsy centers.
Epilepsy centers are staffed by providers who specialize in epilepsy care, such as. Many epilepsy centers work with university hospitals and researchers. There are several ways you can find a neurologist or an epileptologist near you. Your primary care or family provider can tell you about types of specialists.
The American Academy of Neurology external icon and the American Epilepsy Society external icon provide a listing of its member neurologists and epilepsy specialists, including epileptologists. The National Association of Epilepsy Centers external icon also provides a list of its member centers, organized by state. Self-management is what you do to take care of yourself. You can learn how to manage seizures and keep an active and full life. Begin with these tips:. Learn more about managing epilepsy.
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