Epilepsy Talk
Epilepsy: Meditation vs. Medication
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Neither is mutually exclusive.
You can have medication without meditation. Most of us do.
You can do meditation without medication. Most of us wouldn’t and shouldn’t take that risk.
But together, they can enhance one another.
Tags: benefits, Complementary Alternative Medicine, enhance, Epilepsy, medication, meditation, relaxation, risks, seizures, stress
Exactly what IS Neuropsychology?
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I never had a clue what neuropsychology was all about. Although it sounded like a good idea.
Then a while ago, I had an assessment. (Mercifully, it was the two-hour test and not the 8-hour version.)
The neuropsychologist I went to had all the records from my last 12 years with my neurologist and it was clear he had done his homework.
The question was, did my deficit in memory come from my history of seizures, my previous concussions (one of which had only been a month ago) or even age itself? (I thought to myself, geeze, I’m only 67!)
Here’s basically what happened…
Tags: age, attention, brain behavior, brain tissue, cognitive impairment, concussions, damage, functions, learning, memory deficit, neuropsychology, organization, planning, problem-solving, retraining, seizures, treatment
Heat Is Not Our Friend…
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And it can trigger some pretty awful consequences.
Like the time I was gardening at high noon. (What was I thinking about?) I fell backwards, hitting my head on the walkway. And I couldn’t ask for help because I was out cold. Baking in the sun.
And I’m sure you have your own stories. About passing out, puking or just feeling like you’re as dizzy as if you were on a roller coaster ride.
An epileptologist explained that heat can trigger a seizure for some people because it’s firing up the neurons in the brain which can cause a seizure.
Some examples:
Tags: dehydration, first aid, heat, heat cramps, heat exhaustion, heat index, heat rash, heat stroke, hot weather, lightning, medication side-effects, seizures, sunstroke, thunderstorms, tired muscles, Topamax
Seizures…Memory…Depression. YES, They Are Linked!
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At least one third of people with epilepsy also have depression.
Epilepsy can have different effects on memory functions and depression for various reasons.
Because the portion of the brain where memory and emotions are stored — the limbic system — can be disturbed by epileptic seizures.
In fact, memory problems are one of the most reported problems that coincide with epilepsy.
A Menu of Epilepsy Auras
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The fact is: There are probably as many or more types of auras as there are types of epilepsy…
Auras can last from several seconds to more than an hour, and can sometimes end with feelings of extreme tiredness, weakness, heart palpitation, sweating and warmth throughout one’s body.
And some people can experience auras with no seizure(s).
Each and every person’s aura patterns are different. They vary significantly between individuals.
Tags: auditory changes, auras, physical changes, psychological changes, seizures, visual changes, warning signs
Stress and seizures…
66 Comments
Let’s be honest, you probably didn’t plan on having epilepsy.
But here we are.
And we all know that stress is #1 in the hit parade of seizure triggers.
Endless surveys prove the fact.
Tags: #1 trigger, anticipation, cortisol hormone, emotions, fight or flight, negative feelings, relaxation, seizures, stress, vicious cycle
Seniors — Alzheimer’s, Epilepsy or Seizures?
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The question of whether a person has epilepsy or Alzheimer’s can be a tough one.
Take those “senior moments” — memory lapses, zoning out and other temporary confusion. These seemingly harmless incidents may actually be a sign of epilepsy. Roughly 1-2 percent of seniors develop epilepsy — and that rate is rising.
But experts at the U.S. National Council on Aging warn that often epilepsy goes undetected in seniors.
Tags: "senior moments", Alzheimer’s, drugs, Epilepsy, medications, misdiagnosed, Research, seizures, undetected
Other Voices — Other Lives
29 Comments
“There were times I asked myself,
‘Is life really worth living?’
Suicide, now there’s a thought,
But would God be forgiving?”
Ed L.
Tags: adapt, damaged goods, emotional, friends, fulfilling, memory, opportunities, relationships, seclusion, seizures, succeed, suicide
Epilepsy and Memory…
25 Comments
To say that lack of memory is a major worry for those of us with epilepsy is hardly a surprise.
In fact, it’s the number one concern.
Simply put, memory is our brain’s ability to store information and find it again later.
Chemical and electrical changes happen in your brain when new memories are made.
It’s a natural brain process that requires continuing attention and recording by parts of your brain.
Seizures interfere with your memory by interfering with attention or input of information.
Confusion often follows a seizure, and during this foggy time, new memory traces aren’t being laid down in the brain.
Is Epilepsy Inherited?
34 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!
So, even though the risk in families with epilepsy is higher than in the general population, most people with epilepsy do not have any relatives with seizures, and the great majority of parents with epilepsy do not have children with epilepsy.
Tags: Epilepsy, family risk, genetic abnormalities, genetic testing, Research, seizure threshold, seizure-free, seizures
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