Seizures

Millions of people are afflicted with seizure disorders. There are many different types of seizures that present with various symptomatologies. The seizure experience depends on the location and amount of the brain that is affected during the seizure. By definition, a seizure disorder is stimulation of a brain pathway where there shouldn�t be any activity of a pathway. The activity is spontaneous abnormal electrical discharge of certain pathways in the brain.
Seizure disorders may appear at any age. The person may be conscious or unconscious during the seizure. The activity can range from minor tremors to uncontrollable flinging of the body. Seizures can begin with minor symptoms and become increasingly global. Most seizure disorders are from an unknown cause.
Repeated brain seizures characterize a condition called epilepsy. Epilepsy is a neurological condition which produces consistent disturbances in the brain�s electrical pathway. Normal brain activity is described as stimulation of pathways, and these pathways communicate with each other to control the body and all of its functions. When communication lines cross, messages become confusing and the brain has trouble sorting the signals.
To date, treatment of seizures has primarily been pharmaceutically-based. These medications interrupt the brain activity that causes the seizure. Unfortunately, the medications cannot be pathway-specific. The medications will interrupt all brain activity. Since seizure activity involves only certain pathways, the result is that the brain is more globally affected (the entire brain). This includes pathways that are not involved in the seizure. This decrease in brain activity can result in many side effects. They range from behavior/personality changes to blurred or double vision.
Treatment alternatives are now available. These treatments are effective and safe, and they can be pathway specific. Certain areas of the brain can be isolated.
As a Board Certified Chiropractic Neurologist, I take a unique approach to the treatment and prevention of seizures. After a thorough neurological examination I determine which part of the nervous system is not functioning properly.
Treatments include structural adjustments on the opposite side of decreased brain function, visual and auditory stimulation daily at different intensities and frequencies, and wearing glasses with various colored lenses to decrease the frequency of firing input into the brain. Visual imagery is also very effective in stimulating specific areas of the brain. The results of the stimulation can be directly measured by monitoring the central integrated state of the nervous system. This includes recording the blood pressure, heart rate, and tidal volume of the lungs before and after treatment.
By: Dr. Michael L. Johnson

Epilepsy: Ten Tips for People with Seizures

1. The goal is zero seizures and zero side-effects.
If you are still having seizures or more than minimal side-effects from your anticonvulsant medication, then you have unfinished business. The holy grail of seizure management is to stop them entirely, and to do so without significant side-effects from the treatment used to stop them.
Continuing seizure activity is not good for either the brain or body. When seizures have not been stopped, the seizures you're still having might change the brain in a way that makes it easier for future seizures to occur. Also, people with uncontrolled seizures are more likely to fall and hurt themselves than people without seizures. Moreover, driving a car will probably not be feasible until the seizures have been stopped.
2. Don't blab.
Your medical information is confidential, and you should play your medical cards close to your chest. Don't volunteer information to non-medical people who don't need to have it. Once the information is out, you have no control over how it is used or mis-used. Unfortunately, some individuals still have backwards ideas and attitudes about epilepsy. Don't give them an opening to mess with your life.
3. Don't lie.
If others have a legitimate need to know about your epilepsy, you should stick to the truth, though you shouldn't necessarily add information that is not requested. People with a "need to know" might include your employer, your insurer and the Bureau of Motor Vehicles.
Here is an example of one of many reasons you shouldn't lie: Suppose you're the driver of a car involved in an accident. If you lied to your insurance company about your epilepsy, they might refuse to pay based on your fraudulent application, whether you had a seizure or not!
One escape clause is that if you have had just one lifetime seizure, then it is medically correct to say you don't have epilepsy. A minimum of two seizures is required to establish the diagnosis of epilepsy.
4. Take your medication regularly.
The best medicine in the world won't work if you don't take it properly. I have the greatest sympathy for people who need to take medication for seizures. When I miss a dose of my antihistamine, the only consequence is that my nose runs, but people who miss a dose of seizure medication might pay for it with a seizure.
However, assuming you're human, at some point or another you'll screw up and forget a dose. Work out a plan with your doctor for what to do when that happens.
5. Don't fixate on drug blood-levels.
Don't confuse a tool with a goal. The goal is to have no seizures and no side-effects, not to produce a certain number on a laboratory report. In selected situations, drug blood-levels can be useful tools, but sometimes the patient, doctor, or both, get fixated on them and lose sight of the big picture.
A neurology professor summed this up nicely: "Managing a seizure disorder by only watching the blood-levels is like driving a car by only watching the speedometer. Sometimes you need to look up and see where you're going!"
Obsessing over drug blood-levels can lead to sad consequences. For example, if the blood-level happens to fall within the suggested range of numbers printed on the lab slip, the patient and doctor might conclude that everything humanly possible is already being done. But if the patient is still having seizures, more work is still needed.
It is also unfortunate when the patient and doctor assume that a blood-level outside the "normal range" is bad. Some patients might actually do best on a blood-level that is higher than the printed range, or, alternatively, do just fine on a blood-level below the range. The printed range is just a rough guideline.
6. Keep regular hours.
I know that you are an exciting, vibrant human being. But sometimes it's in your best interest to behave as if you are a dull person, waking up at the same hour every morning and retiring at the same hour every night. Disruptions in the sleep-cycle can lower the threshold for having seizures. As an example, one man in my practice never achieved perfect seizure control while working swing-shifts, but became perfectly seizure-free when he went on straight day-shifts.
7. Keep records.
In the process of medication adjustment leading to perfect seizure-control, an accurate tally of the numbers of seizures per span of time is an essential tool in judging whether or not you are on the right track. Women should also chart their menstrual periods. Sometimes there is a correlation between seizures and the menstrual cycle.
8. Communicate with your doctor.
The smartest doctors in the world can't fix problems they don't know about. If you're still having seizures or experiencing side-effects from seizure medication, chances are that your doctor would appreciate a phone call about it. The advice you receive will allow you to make better use of your time than if you wait until the next appointment to report problems.
9. Talk to your doctor about pregnancy.
If you're planning on becoming pregnant, then the time to mention this to your doctor is before you become pregnant. Your medication might need to change in order to optimize your outcome. Once you are pregnant, this option is less available. In any case, you and every other woman of child-bearing potential should take at least 800 micrograms (0.8 milligrams) of folic acid (also known as folate) daily in order to minimize the chance of fetal malformation. Once you discover you are pregnant, you might already be past the time at which the folic acid was most needed. Taking it regularly is the safest course of action.
10. The goal is zero seizures and zero side-effects.
Yes, I know I'm repeating myself, but it's just that important!
By : Gary Cordingley

Febrile Seizure

While fever is the body's natural defense against infection, approximately five percent of children have what are classified as "simple" febrile seizures while running a fever. If anyone has a child who suffers from febrile seizures, take heart ... 99 percent of children outgrow them by the time they are six years old and there are generally no ill after effects. Febrile seizures can occur in babies as young as three months old. When the child is running a fever, a seizure brought on by the sudden rise of their body temperature can overtake them. Febrile seizures look like epileptic attacks and they are one of the most frightening events a parent can live through. These seizures happen only when a child has a fever and are not a precursor to epilepsy, although in about 1 percent of cases, febrile seizures are an indication of more complicated neurological problems. When my older daughter was 18 months old, she had her first febrile seizure. Thankfully, I had read about them and knew what was happening. The first episode lasted less than two minutes and by the time the paramedics arrived, she was sleeping peacefully. I wish I could say that was her last febrile seizure. She had at least ten more in the following four years, with the last episode occurring when she was five-and-a-half-years-old. While we tried to learn everything there was to know about these seizures, the best explanation any doctor had was that they were hereditary. Sometimes I wonder about the genetic conclusions doctors jump to. As far as my husband and I knew, no one in our immediate families had recurring febrile seizures, nor did our younger daughter ever have a febrile seizure. As we were told by numerous physicians to expect our other children to have them too, we were enormously relieved when we were spared yet another 5 years of anxiety and living in fear of the dreaded fevers. Not all children who have a febrile seizure will have another one. I believe the statistics are 30 percent of children will suffer only one. If you've lived through this once, I pray you are one of the lucky parents who never have to witness your child in the grips of this malady again. While these seizures do not cause the child long-term harm, they can age a parent ten years overnight. There are many redundant articles online that explain and explore febrile seizures, their complications and coping strategies for parents, although all that can really be done is to make sure the child is safe and allow the seizure to pass. Knowledge is power. The more you know about febrile seizures, the better you will be able to cope if your child ever has one or has already suffered one or more seizures.

Author: Rexanne Mancini

Hypoglycemia During Sleep Is Possible

First things first, what is nocturnal hypoglycemia? This is hypoglycemia that occurs when a person is sleeping. This is specifically anywhere between the injection in the evening and in the morning when getting up.

Hypoglycemia Symptoms

The symptoms of nocturnal hypoglycemia is restlessness, sweating profusely and nightmares. This is especially observed by the person’s partner or parent more than the patient suffering from nocturnal hypoglycemia himself.

Other mild symptoms are those that could be easily corrected. They include pangs of hunger, trembling, and rapid / fast heartbeat.

Be cautious though, as extremely low levels of blood glucose could help activate the following neurological symptoms: weakness, confusion, combativeness, disorientation. The worst case scenarios include the following symptoms: seizure, coma, death.

If the patient becomes helpless and there is no response available in fifteen minutes, oral sugar should be provided as well as a solution of glucose that is administered intravenously.

More on Hypoglycemia

Believe it or not, hypoglycemia affects twenty five percent of those people who are using insulin. Even one episode of hypoglycemia may actually make it difficult for anyone to detect a subsequent episode.

However, through monitoring with vigilance and by avoiding low levels of blood glucose, patients taking insulin have the ability to sense the onslaught of symptoms. In a study made back in 2001, it was discovered that by glucose-control let-up and through making it tight again, sufferers of diabetes could actually reset their own awareness of symptoms.

Measures to Help Prevent Hypoglycemia

Actually, nocturnal hypoglycemia is most commonly experienced by children just as those who are being treated with insulin therapy that is non-intensive.

Bedtime snacks are advisable to be given if in case the levels of blood glucose become lower than 180 mg/dL. Protein-containing snacks are the best choice.

Studies have also indicated that children who are thin have a greater risk of experiencing hypoglycemia since the insulin injection directly goes to the tissues of the muscles. It may help if the skin is pinched so fat is gathered instead of muscle tissues. Using short needles could actually help.

Taking insulin that is fast-acting – such as insulin lispro – prior to dinner could be helpful in the prevention of hypoglycemia.

Controlling and monitoring blood sugar as well as blood glucose levels as much as possible – particularly about more than 4X in a day, is important.

Adults should also monitor their levels of blood glucose prior to driving as hypoglycemia could be hazardous during this time.

Patients that are diabetics must always carry candy, packets of sugar as well as glucose substitutes that are commercially available.

High Risk Hypoglycemia Patients

Those that are considered high risk patients are those who are unaware when the symptoms of hypoglycemia occur. Children and the elderly are also high risk.

Hypoglycemia that is severe could also lead to bleeding in the retinas resulting in visual loss, shutdown in the renal area.

Those who are suffering from angina pectoris is also susceptible, as well as those with eating habits that are erratic. Patients whose work involve sudden activity that is sporadic as well as vigorous are also among those that are high risk.

All in all, hypoglycemia and nocturnal hypoglycemia is difficult yet preventable and controllable. All it takes is a few significant lifestyle and diet change as well as a regular treatment of insulin. More importantly, it helps a lot if one is aware of hypoglycemia and is actively acknowledging and taking responsibility for its treatment.

Author: K Newton

The Nutrional health Benefits of B6

Vitamin B6 is also known as Pyridoxine and is an amino acid. Vitamin B6 is more involved with bodily functions than other nutrients are. The benefits of vitamin B6 change fats, proteins, and carbohydrates into energy. The vitamin also helps to maintain the immune and nervous systems. It helps to fight heart disease. The vitamin also prevents the formation of homocysteine - (lets cholesterol be deposited around the heart).

B6 can be found in meats, high protein foods, poultry eggs, nuts and dairy products. It is also found in whole grains, especially oatmeal and cereals. Rice, bread, and baked goods are all fortified with B6. Some fruit and vegetables such as avocados, bananas, mangos, and potatoes all have B6. The herbs alfalfa, catnip, and oat straw also have been found to have B6.

Deficiencies of vitamin B6 can occur in some individuals. Signs of B6 deficiency include dermatitis, glossitis-sore tongue, depression, confusion, and convulsions. Those with a poor diet or low B6 intake for a long, time will want to consider supplementation. Alcoholics and older adults are more likely to be deficient. Alcohol promotes the loss of B6 from the body. These symptoms could indicate other possibly more serious conditions, so it always best to be checked out by a physician.

Some of the benefits of vitamin B6 include that it may in fact, treat seizures resulting from B6 deficiency, diabetes, heart disease, varicose veins, and premenstrual syndrome. The vitamin may also relieve symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome, and it promotes healthy cardiovascular, and circulatory health.

There are precautions that should be observed. Those with epilepsy should not use B6, as it could interfere with anti-seizure medications. An overdose could be indicated by nerve damage to the arms and legs. Suspending taking B6 will reverse these symptoms.

For those of you who are interested in taking vitamin B6 in supplement form, then you may wish to consider the supplement of choice over here at nutritional-supplement-guides. The alternative health supplement we personally use contains vitamin B6, as well as many other vitamins, minerals, amino acids, potent herbs, enzymes, and specialty nutrients that all work together giving you the best possible health benefits.

Author: John Gibb

What do You Need To Know About Epilepsy

By Mansi Aggarwal

Amongst the diseases that have frequently gripped Americans, Epilepsy is also the one. Though epilepsy allows its patients to lead a normal life yet the disease can be fatal due to the unexpected occurrence of seizures. Epilepsy can basically be defined as a disorder of the nervous system that causes a person to become unconscious suddenly, often with violent movements of the body. This attack that affects the individual’s brain is termed as ‘seizure’.

Seizures happen due to the large electrical activity in the cranium (the bone structure that forms the head and borders and protects the brain). An epileptic is hit by a seizure suddenly any time and anywhere. Every individual has his own resistance to fight these seizures which is known as the seizure threshold. The minimum the seizure threshold, frequent are the seizure attacks and impacts. Seizures vary from person to person; a person during this attack behaves according to the kind of seizure.

Causes of Epilepsy-

It is very difficult to trace the exact foundations of this disease. However, there is a threefold division made in this regard-

1. Symptomatic Epilepsy- the case of epilepsy in which the reasons behind the disease can be well known. The causes can be various such as head injuries, meningitis, brain stroke and any other brain infection etc. The knowledge of the causes leads to an adequate and appropriate drug medication which varies from person to person.

2. Idiopathic Epilepsy – is the case when no lucid causes behind epilepsy seizures are revealed. Having a low seizure threshold is often deemed to be the only reason behind it. But, idiopathic epilepsy does respond well to its treatment by drugs.

3. Cryptogenic Epilepsy- it is the most challenging kind of epilepsy for the doctors for no reasons to it are known and medicines too are not much effective.

Preventing and Healing Epilepsy- Diet is often given importance in case of epilepsy. This is because many epilepsy patients are found to have less of omega-3 fatty acid DHA in their blood. So, a diet rich in this like the fatty fish, canned tuna are often recommended to make up this deficiency.

Since epilepsy is read and administered differently in case of men, women and children, the remedies too differ in each case. For instance, epileptic children are mostly advised a diet which is rich in fats, adequate proteins and low in carbohydrates.

Apart form diet prescription; epileptic patients are given anti-epileptic or anti-convulsion drugs. These drugs are mean to control and prevent the seizures. These drugs increase the patient’s seizure threshold and avert the electrical charges in the brain that can cause seizures. Anti – convulsion drugs are found to be quite successful in controlling seizures. For many people stress busters, biofeedback, acupuncture and meditation are cures to epilepsy.

Epilepsy Patients and You

Epileptic seizures can be quite scary for the rest of the public. Seizures can result in numbness, dizziness, and plucking clothes, smacking lips, swallowing and wandering around. Atonic seizures lead to a fall due to unexpected loss of muscle control; strong jerks to the body and at times even loss of consciousness are involved in myoclonic seizures and the most dreadful Tonic- clonic seizures result in an unconscious and stiffened body and loss of oxygen due to irregular breathing.

But if any such seizure happens in public or at home, it is the duty of the rest to help the patient. Don’t start hitting that person, stuff his mouth with something and give him some eatables or drinks. Just try to prevent him from any serious injury. Put some cushions near his head if at home or take the person to a roadside safe place if seizure hits publicly. Call an ambulance as fast as possible or rush to the nearest hospital.