During the fit, a child might experience jerking/twitching of a hand, arm or leg or jerking/twitching of the whole body. They may or may not become unconscious. Seizures are either epileptic (caused due to epilepsy) or non-epileptic that are caused by factors such as drops in blood sugar or pressure, changes in heart rhythm, or emotional stress. Epilepsy is a brain condition that causes a child to have seizures. The brain consists of nerve cells that communicate with each other through electrical activity. A seizure occurs when one or more parts of the brain have a burst of abnormal electrical signals that interrupt normal brain signals. Types of seizures:The type of seizure depends on which part and how much of the brain is affected and what happens during the seizure. The 2 main categories of epileptic seizures are focal (partial) seizure and generalised seizure. Focal (partial) seizures:Focal seizures take place when abnormal electrical brain function occurs in one or more areas of one side of the brain. Before a focal seizure, your child may have signs that a seizure is about to occur. The most common signs are deja vu, impending doom, fear, or euphoria. The 2 types of focal seizures are: <ul><li>Simple focal seizure: The symptoms of this seizure depend on the area of the brain getting affected. If there is an abnormal electrical brain function in the vision part of the brain, your child’s sight may be altered. The seizure activity is limited to an isolated muscle group. For example, it may only affect the fingers, or larger muscles in the arms and legs. Your child may also have sweating, nausea, or become pale. Your child won’t lose consciousness in this type of seizure.</li></ul> <ul><li>Complex focal seizure: This type of seizure often occurs in the area of the brain controlling emotions and memory. Your child will likely have altered consciousness. Your child may or may not pass out, or just stop being aware of what's going on around him or her. Your child may look awake, but have a variety of unusual behaviours. These may range from gagging, lip smacking, running, screaming, crying, or laughing. Your child may be tired or sleepy after the seizure.</li></ul> Generalised seizure:A generalised seizure occurs in both sides of the brain. Your child will lose consciousness and be tired after the seizure (postictal state).&nbsp;Types of generalised seizures include: Absence seizure: This seizure causes a change in consciousness and staring. Your child will likely maintain posture. His or her mouth or face may twitch or eyes may blink rapidly. The seizure usually lasts no longer than 30 seconds. The child may not recognise the seizure and go on about their activity without feeling different. These seizures may occur several times a day. Absence seizures start between ages 4 to 12. Atonic seizure: This is also called a drop attack. During an atonic seizure, your child experiences a sudden loss of muscle tone and may fall from a standing position or suddenly drop his or her head. During this seizure, your child will be limp and unresponsive. Generalized tonic-clonic seizure (GTC): Also known as grand mal seizure. In this seizure, your child’s body, arms, and legs will flex (contract), extend (straighten out), and tremor (shake). After this, muscles contract and relax (clonic period). The child then enters postictal period (after seizure). During the postictal period, your child may be sleepy. He or she may have problems with vision or speech, and may have a bad headache, fatigue, or body aches. Myoclonic seizure: This type of seizure causes quick movements or sudden jerking of a group of muscles. These seizures tend to occur in clusters. This means that they may occur several times a day, or for several days in a row. Status epilepticus: is a life-threatening condition in which a child has prolonged seizures or one seizure after another without regaining consciousness in between them. You should always get emergency medical help if a seizure lasts more than five minutes. Symptoms:<ul><li>Staring</li><li>Tremors, convulsions or jerking movements in the arms and legs</li><li>Stiffening of the body</li><li>Loss of consciousness</li><li>Breathing problems</li><li>Loss of bowel or bladder control</li><li>Falling suddenly</li><li>Not responding to noise or words for short periods of time</li><li>Appearing confused or in a haze</li><li>Extreme sleepiness and irritability when waking up in the morning</li><li>Periods of rapid eye blinking</li><li>Vomiting</li><li>Changes in vision, speech or both</li></ul> Causes:<ul><li>Head injuries</li><li>Birth trauma</li><li>Congenital conditions</li><li>Poisoning</li><li>Fever or infection</li><li>Brain tumours</li><li>Maternal illness during pregnancy</li><li>Genetics</li><li>Degenerative brain disorders</li></ul> Diagnosis:Diagnosing a seizure can be tricky. Seizures are over so quickly that your doctor probably will never see your child having one. Your description of the seizure is important to help your doctor with the diagnosis. If your child falls suddenly or shakes, it is impossible to not notice it. But absence or staring seizures may go unnoticed for years. You shouldn't worry if your child gazes open-mouthed at cartoons on TV, or stares out the window in the car. Most kids who appear to be daydreaming really are just daydreaming. But be careful when your child is in the middle of speaking or doing something, and suddenly stops. Medical tests are an important part of diagnosing seizures. These include blood tests, an EEG (Electroencephalogram) to check the electrical activity in the brain, or request a brain scan such as an MRI with a specific epilepsy protocol. Treatment:The goal of treatment is to control, stop, or reduce how often seizures occur. Treatment is often done with medicine. Medicines are selected based on the type of seizure, age of the child, side effects, cost, and ease of use. Your healthcare professional might conduct regular blood tests to check the level of the medicine in the blood and its effects on the organs. (S)he might also do an EEG by which you will know how the medicines are helping the electrical problems in your child’s brain. Your child may not need medicine for life. Some children are taken off medicine if they have had no seizures for 1 to 2 years. This though, is determined a healthcare provider. Other treatments include: <ul><li>A ketogenic diet: This type of diet is high in fat and low in carbohydrates. The diet causes the body to make ketones. The brain and heart work normally with ketones as an energy source. Researchers cannot identify how exactly this diet helps. DO NOT undertake this diet for your child unless it is advised by your child’s doctor.</li></ul> <ul><li>Surgery: Surgery may be done to remove the part of the brain where the seizures are occurring. Or the surgery helps to stop the spread of the bad electrical currents through the brain. Your child may be awake during the surgery. The brain itself does not feel pain. If your child is awake and able to follow commands, the surgeons are better able to check areas of his or her brain during the procedure. Surgery is not an option for everyone with seizures.</li></ul> Factors that trigger a seizure:<ul><li>Stress, anxiety, or other emotional issues</li><li>Change in sleep schedules or significant sleep deprivation</li><li>Change in medications, or skipping or missing a dose of anti-seizure medication</li><li>Things that over-stimulates the senses, like lights that flash brightly, watching television, playing video or computer games</li></ul> Preventing seizures:<ul><li>Plenty of sleep each night</li><li>Regular medications as prescribed by your doctor</li><li>Avoid bright, flashing lights and other visual stimuli.</li><li>Skip TV and computer time whenever possible.</li><li>Avoid playing video games.</li><li>A healthy diet.</li></ul> Fits or seizures can be really difficult to deal with. Keep the following in mind while your child is having a fit: <ul><li>Stay calm: When you stay calm, you can think of how to help your child.</li><li>Prevent injury: Keep your child away from sources of danger, for example, if you are on the road, take him/her to some safe place. Try to keep them away from ladders or stairs. Keep hard or pointed objects away from them.</li><li>They may stop breathing temporarily. Their face may become dusky or blue around the mouth. Do not try to give CPR during seizures. They will get normal soon.</li><li>Be aware of the length of the seizure: If it lasts for more than 5 minutes, call an ambulance. Observe minutely so that you can give an accurate report.</li><li>Make your child as comfortable as possible: Remove glasses if any. If the child has food in the mouth, do not try to take it out. Roll them onto their side so that any fluids can drain out of their mouth. Loosen anything around their neck for better breathing. Loosen belts or buttons if they are tight.</li><li>Do not put anything into your child’s mouth like a spoon or pencil or any such thing. It is a common misconception that people can swallow their own tongue but that is just not possible.</li><li>Avoid making a crowd around the child during seizures, give them room for breathing.</li><li>Do not give your child any water, food or pills while they are having seizures.</li><li>Be sensitive and supportive after the seizure is over. Let them know it is okay if they had wet their pants or had bowel movements, as they had no control over their body during the seizure. Provide them with fresh clothes to change if they have spoiled their clothes.</li></ul> After the seizure: If they have injured themselves during a seizure, take them to a doctor.

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