Seizures are a chronic problem for most people who experience them, and the condition of having multiple seizures less than 24 hours apart is commonly considered to be epilepsy. A seizure happens as a result of a sudden, uncontrolled burst of electrical activity in the brain. The symptoms may vary depending on the type of seizure. The key types are tonic-clonic seizures, absence seizures, myoclonic, and atonic seizures (Falco-Walter et al., 2018). The most common symptoms are stiffening of limbs and muscles, uncontrollable movements, staring, loss of consciousness, sweating, nausea, etc. Although most modern seizure treatments have side effects, there are many effective ways to relieve or stop seizures, such as medications, surgery, special diets, electrical stimulation, and general prevention measures.
There is a number of measures involved in the prevention and care of patients prone to or suffering from seizures. Although seizures are chronic in the majority of people who have this problem, they are controllable in 2 out of 3 patients, and preventing them is essential to reduce their occurrence and complications caused by them. The four main ways that are currently used to treat seizures and epilepsy are medication, dietary therapy, surgery, and electrical stimulation (Mayo Clinic, 2021).
Anti-seizure medications, such as cannabidiol or diazepam, are often used to treat seizures, but patients may often need to try several of them to find the one with the fewest side effects. Dietary therapies, such as following a ketogenic diet, are also reported to impact seizure occurrence, but this connection has not yet been studied well enough (Mayo Clinic, 2021). If seizures always originate in the same spot in the brain, surgery is used to stop them. The most common surgical treatments include lobectomy, corpus callosotomy, hemispherectomy, and multiple subpial transection. Electrical stimulation procedures that are used to relieve seizures include vagus nerve stimulation, responsive neurostimulation, and deep brain stimulation.
There are many risk factors associated with seizures, and some of them are fevers, cerebral edema, infections, exposure to toxins, brain tumors, and hypoxia. Alcohol and drug withdrawal seizures are also common factors that can lead to seizures, as well as fluid or electrolyte imbalances. In turn, factors that can trigger a seizure include stress, fatigue, caffeine, and flashing lights. Studies have revealed such modifiable risk factors as “pregnancy, medication adherence issues, frequent AED prescribing changes, reported alcohol problem, depression or other psychiatric disorders” (McCabe et al., 2021, p. 39). Non-modifiable factors, in turn, included “younger age under 45 years old, male sex, and presence of intellectual disability” (McCabe et al., 2021, p. 39).
Lower risk is generally associated with healthy dietary choices, moderate alcohol intake, and regular physical activity. The prevention measures that are used to improve this condition include the following:
- Having a regular sleep schedule that ensures proper amount of sleep;
- Taking all the medications prescribed;
- Avoiding all the triggers and visual stimuli;
- Avoiding drugs and alcohol;
- Following a healthy diet.
Most seizures last less than two minutes, and the ones that last for more than 5 minutes are considered to be a medical emergency. In terms of diagnosis, physicians mostly use EEG to identify the origin of the seizure. There is also a set of guidelines to use when someone is having a seizure, such as turning them to their side, loosening restrictive clothing, and clearing the area from anything that can cause injury. It is also important to document or remember the onset and duration of the seizure to report that to the physician afterward.
All of these prevention and treatment measures can improve the client’s overall health. For example, when taken according to the prescription, anti-seizure medications can stop or significantly reduce seizures because they change the level of chemicals in the patient’s brain. When these medications are not able to control the seizures, brain surgery is carried out, during which the surgeon removes the affected part of the brain. This can have side effects, which the patient may or may not recover from.
That is why all the possible risks should be discussed with the patient before the surgery. It is important for the patients prone to having seizures to take all these factors into consideration and promote their health. Otherwise, seizures will become more and more frequent and dangerous and lead to falling, broken bones, car accidents, pregnancy complications, and mental health problems. Thus, the consequences may not only be dangerous for the person having seizure, but also for people around them.
All this allows the conclusion that seizures are a serious issue that requires treatment and constant care. As a future health care provider, I will make sure to include all the guidelines and recommendations I have learned while completing this assignment into my practice. For example, I will now be able to define the type of seizure a person may be having based on their symptoms and say if their seizures are chronic or not based on observation. I will also be able to assume what type of treatment might be beneficial for them based on their medical history and lifestyle choices. I will be able to consult them on the risk factors each treatment has and warn them about the side effects their medications can cause. Most importantly, I know what actions need to be taken immediately when a person is having a seizure.
References
Falco-Walter, J. J., Scheffer, I. E., & Fisher, R. S. (2018). The new definition and classification of seizures and epilepsy. Epilepsy Research, 139, 73-79. Web.
Mayo Clinic. (2021). Seizures – Diagnosis and treatment. Web.
McCabe, J., McLean, B., Henley, W., Harris, C., Cheatle, K., Ashby, S., & Shankar, R. (2021). Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) and seizure safety: Modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors differences between primary and secondary care. Epilepsy & Behavior, 115, 37-44. Web.