Epilepsy Talk
Head injuries and seizures
11 Comments
How many of you have had a car accident…an abrupt fall…a physical assault? If you are one of those people and you have suffered a head injury, the probability of seizure activity increases dramatically…
Seizures may develop immediately after an injury to the brain or may develop in delayed fashion, showing up months or years after the initial trauma.
Tags: accident, concussion, generalized seizures, grand-mal, head injury, medications, post traumatic seizures, risk, seizure activity, tonic-clonic
Epilepsy and Encephalitis
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Imagine an inflammation so powerful that it can play havoc with your brainstem, cerebrum, cerebellum, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves.
That’s the neurological damage that can happen as a result of encephalitis.
The good news is that it’s rare.
The bad news is that it causes the brain tissue to swell (cerebral edema), which may destroy nerve cells, cause bleeding in the brain (intracerebral hemorrhage), and brain damage.
Tags: complications, diagnostic tests, Encephalitis, Epilepsy, immediate care, inflammation, medications, neurological damage, prevention, prognosis, risk, symptoms, treatment
WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION TO DECLARE ASPARTAME AS POSSIBLE CARCINOGEN!
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The World Health Organization (WHO) is about to confirm what we’ve known for decades.
Aspartame can cause cancer.
Here’s the scandal…
Tags: cancers, carcinogen, consumer complaints, dangerous, FDA complaints, political, toxic, World Health Organization
Which of these is the cause of your epilepsy?
16 Comments
In some 6 out of 10 cases, epilepsy is idiopathic — meaning the cause is unknown. In other cases, epilepsy can be traced to an abnormality of the structure or function of the brain.
These abnormalities can arise from traumatic brain injuries, strokes and other vascular problems, infections of the nervous system (meningitis or encephalitis), congenital malformations, brain tumors or metabolic abnormalities.
Seizures can literally begin at any time for any number of reasons.
Here are just a few of them.
Which pertain to you?
Death, depression and AEDs
3 Comments
“Suicide Risk from 11 Anti-Epilepsy Drugs,” headlines blared across the country.
But we’re still here.
Was it sensationalism by the journalists, irresponsibility by the pharmaceutical industry or laxness of the FDA?
The answer is none of the above. And, by the way, they forgot to include anti-depressants.
At best, I’d call it a misunderstanding. At worst, I’d call it manipulation.
Tags: anti-epilepsy drugs, depakote, depression, FDA analysis, Felbatol, Gabitril, Keppra, Lamictal, Lyrica, Neurontin, suicide risk, Tegretol, Topamax, Trileptal, Zonegran
A chief of surgery offers insider tips to finding the right surgeon
1 Comment
On Sunday morning, my neighbor Carolyn knocked on my front door holding a basket of carbs and said, “I need to have my gallbladder out. I’ve never had an operation and have no idea how to find a surgeon to do my surgery. I don’t want to die. I brought you some scones.”
Carolyn brings up a valid point — if you’ve been blessed with reasonably good health, you probably don’t have a surgeon’s number on speed dial. Therefore, the bigger question is, in the unfortunate event that you need one, how do you find the best surgeon for your medical condition?
Tags: doctors, insider tips, interview, key credentials, references, risks, top candidates
Is your epilepsy inherited?
6 Comments
Just because you have a parent, sibling, cousin or aunt who has epilepsy doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll have it also.
In fact, if you have a close relative with epilepsy, the chance of you having epilepsy is only about 2-5%, depending on the specific type of epilepsy.
The risk in the general population is about 1-2%.
On the other hand, there is a 92-98% chance for the close relative of someone with epilepsy to NOT have the same condition!
Tags: family risk, genetic abnormalities, genetic testing, seizure threshold
What’s the worst accident you’ve ever had?
18 Comments
The worst accident I ever had was the one that caused my seizures.
I was at an ice rink, speed skating, when some jerk put his foot out. (A real funny joke.)
Into the boards I went, flying over the ice.
About the author
Epilepsy Talk 
Foods that fight stress…
5 Comments
I worked as a writer in the health and wellness field for more than ten years.
So I know a thing or two about this stuff. (And stress!)
But I also know from personal experience that epilepsy is a very unique condition.
Between all the different types of seizures, and triggers, and meds…there is no one-size-fits-all solution.
The same goes for de-stressing your diet.
What works for one might not work for another.
Tags: almonds, arugula, asparagus, avocados, banana, basil, beef, blueberries, broccoli, chickpeas, clams, de-stressing, fish, foods that fight stress, health and wellness, leafy greens, lentils, nutrition, papaya, red bell peppers, spinach, sunflower seeds, turkey 15 Comments »