Seizures

Seizures are symptoms of a brain problem. They happen because of sudden, abnormal electrical activity in the brain. When people think of seizures, they often think of convulsions in which a person's body shakes rapidly and uncontrollably. Not all seizures cause convulsions. There are many types of seizures and some have mild symptoms. Seizures fall into two main groups. Focal seizures, also called partial seizures, happen in just one part of the brain. Generalized seizures are a result of abnormal activity on both sides of the brain.

Most seizures last from 30 seconds to 2 minutes and do not cause lasting harm. However, it is a medical emergency if seizures last longer than 5 minutes or if a person has many seizures and does not wake up between them. Seizures can have many causes, including medicines, high fevers, head injuries and certain diseases. People who have recurring seizures due to a brain disorder have epilepsy.

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

Seizure on Wikipedia

'''Seizures''' (or '''convulsions''') are temporary alterations in brain function expressing themselves into a changed mental state, tonic or clonic movements and various other symptoms. They are due to temporary abnormal electrical activity of a group of brain cells. The treatment of seizures is a subspecialty of neurology; the study of seizures is part of neuroscience.

Signs and symptoms

Seizures can cause involuntary changes in body movement or function, sensation, awareness, or behavior. A seizure can last from a few seconds to status epilepticus, a continuous seizure that will not stop without intervention. Seizure is often associated with a sudden and involuntary contraction of a group of muscles. However, a seizure can also be as subtle as marching numbness of a part of body, a brief loss of memory, sparkling of flashes, sniffing an unpleasant odor, a strange epigastric sensation or a sensation of fear. Therefore seizures are typically classified as motor, sensory, autonomy, emotion or cognitive. There are more than 20 different types of seizures. Seizures are often associated with epilepsy and related seizure disorders, although head trauma, intoxication, infection, metabolism disturbances, withdrawal symptoms (from sedatives such as alcohol, barbiturates and benzodiazepines) and space-occupying processes in the brain (abscesses, tumors) may also cause them. Seizures in (or shortly after) pregnancy can be a sign of eclampsia. Some medications produce an increased risk of seizures and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) deliberately sets out to induce a seizure. Many seizures have unknown causes. Symptoms experienced by a person during a seizure depend on where in the brain the disturbance in electrical activity occurs. Some seizures may be frightening to onlookers. A person having a tonic-clonic seizure (also ... [ Read More ]

External Resources

Inside Out Graphics Studio - An artist with Intractable Temporal Lobe Seizure Disorder explores and interprets the various seizures she experiences.

Friesen, Chad - Acrylic paintings by artist with ataxia and a seizure disorder that affects his motor skills and requires that he use a wheelchair. Also a selection of greeting cards.

Iraq Appeals to Berlin for Return of Babylon Gate - From the Guardian, Iraq urges Germany today to return chunks of Babylon shipped to Berlin at the beginning of the last century in a heritage seizure which makes Britain's removal of the Parthenon Marbles look tame.

LII Supreme Court Decisions: Search and Seizure -

Praxis Seizure - Defunct Vampire LARP in suburban Chicago.

JK Harris and Company - Specialists in tax problems, liens and levies, penalties, garnishing wages and seizures, offers in compromise, payment plans, payroll taxes and other IRS problems.

Tax Masters - Services include offer in compromise, stopping wage garnishment, filing back taxes, asset seizures and audit defense.

Partial Seizure Disorders - Helps patients and families get an accurate diagnosis of partial seizure disorders, understand medications and their side effects, and learn coping skills and other adjuncts to medication.

J McMillan Bailiffs & Collections - Specializing in collections and seizures. Based in British Columbia, Canada.

Judgment Recovery Bureau - New York based firm specializing in the recovery of US court awarded judgments by way of locating assets and legally enforcing seizure, on a contingency-fee basis.

Seizures

Seizure on Wikipedia

Signs and symptoms

External Resources

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