Epilepsy can it kill you

This means that although they are no longer unconscious, they are not yet fully aware of their surroundings. During this time, the person may experience sleepiness, confusion, and agitation. This can last for a few minutes or several hours. A seizure is the result of an imbalance of the excitation and inhibition parts of the brain.

This imbalance can result from genetic or environmental factors. An electroencephalogram EEG test measures the electrical activity of the brain. People who have epilepsy tend to have certain EEG patterns that mean that they are more likely to have seizures.

People may also need to undergo an MRI scan , which looks at changes in the brain that may cause seizures. Most tonic-clonic seizures stop by themselves, and people do not usually need to take antiseizure medications.

However, if a person needs emergency treatment, doctors will usually administer benzodiazepines intravenously or intranasally. A person may require antiepileptic medications to reduce the risk of seizures happening again. There are several risk factors for experiencing a seizure.

These factors include :. There is also evidence to suggest that not getting enough sleep and exposure to flashing lights, such as strobe lights in nightclubs, can trigger seizures in certain people. Although people can develop epilepsy at any age, it is more common for people to develop it in childhood or over the age of 60 years.

However, having many seizures, or having seizures that are particularly severe, may cause a person to become more forgetful or find it difficult to concentrate. People with epilepsy have an increased risk of developing depression. People are also at higher risk of anxiety. This may need medical treatment, often in the form of antidepressants or therapy.

It is possible to die from a tonic-clonic seizure. For example, some people may fatally injure themselves while having a seizure, or they may drown if they have a seizure in water. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC , this happens in about 1 in every 1, people with epilepsy every year. For example, while having a seizure, a person may unintentionally pause their breathing. If they pause for too long between breaths, the oxygen in their blood may drop to a life threatening level.

A seizure may also cause cardiac arrest. These spasms can cause obstructed airways. Pauses in your breathing patterns that last longer than normal are also problematic. In rare cases, seizures can cause heart rhythm problems or even heart failure. Sleep is crucial, as is learning how to deal with your seizures. You should also refrain from drinking alcohol. The Centers for Disease Control provides more information on managing epilepsy.

A diagnosis of any type of disease or disorder is a difficult blow to deal with. But you should know that you can still have a positive outlook if you take the proper treatment steps. Some medications will work for certain types of seizures. Your doctor will come up with the best course of action. Once you find the right medication, you should be persistent with your dosages and frequency. A failure to do so could result in more seizures or complications. Track your episodes by keeping a log of seizures.

This can help you outline patterns and learn how to better handle certain triggers. Refrain from tobacco use and excessive alcohol consumption. Make sure they understand epilepsy and how to cope with it. You can work with your physician to look into dietary therapies, behavioral therapies and possibly surgery. There are also certain devices that use electrical stimulation neuromodulation to send signals to change what a nerve or the brain does.

Surgery is an option for patients who suffer from seizures in one area of the brain. A surgeon will remove the part of the brain where the seizures start in an attempt to eliminate or minimize the episodes. Help Urgent Care. Toggle navigation. Patient Portal.

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Doctors call these deaths SUDEP for short, and most occur during or after seizures, which can cause people to stop breathing and can trigger dangerous irregular heart rhythms.

An estimated 3. The condition "actually takes more lives every year than sudden infant death syndrome does," said French, "but obviously it doesn't get the same press. Cameron Boyce's death shines a light on fatal stigma. Read More. The term doesn't include deaths related to external causes, such as drowning or crashing a car during a seizure. Only recently have doctors begun to truly understand the phenomenon, French said, and more doctors discuss the risk with patients now than in years past.

First, because the families need to know, and second, because there are things people with epilepsy can do to reduce their risk.