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Epilepsy

Epilepsy is a neurological condition that affects the nervous system. This seizure disorder has been diagnosed in over 2.5 million Americans in the last five years. New cases are generally found in children and the elderly.

Causes

In about 75% of cases epilepsy cannot be traced to a specific cause. One of the problems with pinpointing a cause is the fact that epilepsy has many causes and is linked to many other conditions. Some known causes of epilepsy include:

• Head injury
• Prenatal injury
• Environmental causes- exposure to lead, carbon monoxide, street drugs, lack of sleep, stress, hormonal changes and withdrawal from certain prescription drugs
• Brain chemistry (an imbalance of neurotransmitters in the brain)
• Hereditary (some types run in families)
• Other disorders such as- alcoholism, Alzheimer's, stroke, heart attack, meningitis, AIDS, cerebral palsy and autism

Types

Epilepsy is broken down into two main categories, generalized epilepsy and partial epilepsy. Below are some of the types of epilepsy associated with each category.

• Generalized Epilepsy

o Childhood absence epilepsy

o Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy

o Epilepsy with grand-mal seizures

o West syndrome

o Lennox-Gastaut syndrome

• Partial Epilepsy
  

o Benign focal epilepsy of childhood

o Temporal lobe epilepsy

o Frontal lobe epilepsy

Treatments

There are many treatments for epilepsy. Since the seizure disorder covers so many types and causes only a skilled physician can find the right treatment plan for patients with epilepsy. Treatment options for epilepsy include:

• Medications- Effectiveness and side effects vary. There are over a dozen medications that are used to treat epilepsy.
• Surgery- Surgical options include SISCOM, awake brain surgery, vagus nerve stimulation and corpus callosotomy.
• Ketogenic diet

Epilepsy can be a debilitating disorder. If you suffer from epilepsy you may be eligible for disability benefits. Please contact a disability attorney at LaVan & Neidenberg today for your free consultation.

Helpful Links
http://www.epilepsyfoundation.org/

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