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Wellness Wednesday will have experts available to discuss epilepsy from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Nov. 4 at Ashley River Tower.
Many
people think of the words Grand Mal activity or convulsions when they
hear the word epilepsy or seizures. All of these terms may bring a
picture to your mind of someone thrashing around on the ground
uncontrollably, making horrible sounds, turning very red or blue, and
possibly losing control of their bladder or bowel. The correct term for
this type of seizure is generalized tonic clonic.
Epilepsy is a neurological condition affecting the brain. A seizure is
the symptom or abnormal characteristic of epilepsy. A person is
diagnosed with epilepsy if they have uncontrollable seizures. Having a
one time seizure does not mean you have epilepsy and you can not
“catch” epilepsy from someone else. Epilepsy is what you have; it is
not who you
are.
Petit Mal or small seizures is another type of seizure that individuals
describe as zoning out, smacking their lips, or trying to undress
themselves. The correct term for this type of seizure is complex
partial. A person may receive a warning that a simple partial seizure
in coming, such as a headache or tunnel vision. There are laughing
seizures (gelastic), falling down seizures (atonic), and staring
seizures (absence) to name a few. The reason there are different types
of seizures, instead of the generalized tonic clonic event that comes
to mind, is due to the location in the brain where the seizure
originates.
An individual who has not obtained good seizure control while taking
medications should be referred to MUSC’s Comprehensive Epilepsy Center
to identify if they may be a candidate for epilepsy surgery.
If a patient is not a candidate for epilepsy surgery, then they would
be offered the VNS (vagus nerve stimulator) or pacemaker for the brain.
MUSC also offers assistance with special diet management to assist with
seizure control. For information, contact the MUSC Health Information
Line at 792-1414.
Worksite screening
The Nov. 19 worksite screening was changed to Dec. 10. Visit http://www.musc.edu/medcenter/health1st.
Editor's
note: The preceding column was brought to you on behalf of Health 1st.
Striving to bring various topics and representing numerous employee
wellness organizations and committees on campus, this weekly column
seeks to provide MUSC, MUHA and UMA employees with current and helpful
information concerning all aspects of health.
Friday, Oct. 30, 2009
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