About epilepsy
What is epilepsy?
Epilepsy is the most common neurological condition. It affects around 1 in 200 children in the UK.
Understanding seizures
- Epilepsy is currently defined as a tendency to have recurrent seizures (sometimes called fits).
- A seizure is caused by a sudden burst of excess electrical activity in the brain, causing a temporary disruption in the normal message passing between brain cells. This disruption results in the brain's messages becoming halted or mixed up.
- The brain is responsible for all the functions of your body, so what you experience during a seizure will depend on where in your brain the epileptic activity begins and how widely and rapidly it spreads. For this reason, there are many different types of seizure and each person will experience epilepsy in a way that is unique to them.
Causes of epilepsy
In 60%–70% of people diagnosed with epilepsy no specific cause can be found.
- Genetic causes
- Abnormalities of the brain
- Brain injuries
- Infections
- Tumours
- Vascular disease
There are over 40 different types of seizures, and children/young people with epilepsy will have different experiences.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis of epilepsy
The diagnosis of epilepsy can be a very difficult and complex process. Epilepsy is primarily diagnosed from an eye witness account (detailed description) of what you see during your child's seizure.
There is no specific test that can diagnose epilepsy, although investigations can provide useful additional information when making the decision that your child has epilepsy or not.
Other investigations may be requested from your Consultant Paediatrician or Consultant Neurologist on an individual basis.
Investigations
- Physical examination
- EEG (when relevant)
- CT scan (when relevant)
- MRI scan (when relevant)
- Blood tests
Seizures
Generalised seizures
They occur when the abnormal activity that causes the seizure involves both sides of the brain.
Absences
Brief lapse of awareness (vacant stare); can also involve twitching of the eyes or flickering of the eyelids. They may occur many times throughout the day. Absences usually last between 5–30 seconds.
Myoclonic
Brief, sudden jerk of the muscle, usually in the arms or legs. Myoclonic seizures may also present as a simple head nod.
Clonic
Rhythmical jerking/twitching of the limbs and/or body.
Tonic
Sudden stiffening of the arms and legs, often causing the person to fall to the ground.
Atonic
Sudden loss of muscle tone, often causing the person to fall to the ground.
Tonic clonic
Sudden stiffening of the arms/legs, causing the person to fall to the ground, followed by rhythmical jerking/twitching of the limbs/body.
Focal seizures
They occur when the abnormal activity that causes the seizure starts in one part of the brain, on one side (one hemisphere). It will depend on where in the hemisphere/lobe the abnormal activity is to determine what the child/young person may experience.
Sensory
- Smell
- Feeling/sensation
- Taste
Motor
Twitch, usually on one side of the body. Jerking (the opposite side of the abnormal activity in the brain).
Common triggers
What can make seizures more likely?
There can be key lifestyle factors that can contribute to the frequency of seizures and in some circumstances can be avoided.
- Lack of sleep / late nights
- Excitement
- Concordance/compliance with medication
- Anxiety
- Stress
- Alcohol (binge drinking)
- Drugs
- Illness
- Hormones/menstruation
- Skipping meals (low blood sugar levels)
- Photosensitive epilepsy (fewer than 1 in 20 have photosensitive epilepsy)
- Hyperventilation
- Altered blood chemistry/dehydration
First aid
First aid for seizure
Do…
- Stay calm
- Loosen tight clothing around the neck
- Protect the child from injury (remove sharp or hard objects)
- Guide away from danger if the child is having a complex partial seizure
- Cushion head if the child falls down
- Aid breathing by placing the child on their side if they have fallen down (recovery position)
- Stay with the child until they have fully recovered
- Be quietly reassuring
Don't…
- Try to restrain the child having a seizure
- Put anything in the child's mouth or force anything between their teeth
- Try to move the child unless they are in danger
- Give the child anything to drink until they are fully recovered
If your enquiry is of an urgent medical nature we urge you to contact your GP/Specialist or the emergency services.
At school
Information for schools
Information for educators on the best way of helping children with epilepsy – please feel free to pass it to your children's teachers.
One page profile
Person centred thinking tools. When we put together the tools of appreciation, with important to and important for, we call this a one page profile. We call this a plan when it has actions as part of it.
The process of building from a one page profile to a person centred plan has been developed from the best practices of a whole number of people involved in the work of facilitating, delivering and training person centred approaches.