Dr. Ben Wedro practices emergency medicine at Gundersen Clinic, a regional trauma center in La Crosse, Wisconsin. His background includes undergraduate and medical studies at the University of Alberta, a Family Practice internship at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario and residency training in Emergency Medicine at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.
Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.
Seizures occur because the brain becomes irritated and an "electrical storm"
occurs. This "electrical storm" occurs because the normal connections between
the cells in the brain do not function properly. This causes the brain to try to
shut down because of the electrical surge. The muscle shaking occurs because the
brain is ending out signals to every muscle group, asking them to contract. Most
seizures are self-limiting and are followed by a so-called postictal period, in
which the brain can be considered to "reboot and restart" all its programs,
similar to a computer when it is rebooted.
Seizures are a common event, and 4% of people will experience one in their
lifetime. The potential to have a seizure depends upon the threshold of the
brain to withstand excess electrical activity. In infants and children, high
fevers can cause this threshold to lower, resulting in febrile seizures. A blow
to the head can cause an electrical spike causing a seizure, and
sometimes
seizures just happen.
The patient needs evaluation to look for the reason for the seizure. Is there
an infection? Are there electrolyte abnormalities in the blood? Is there a
structural problem in the brain? Often there is no obvious reason why the first
seizure occurred, and CT or MRI scans of the brain as well as an EEG
(electroencephalogram) may be ordered to look for a cause.
Most people get a "freebie" seizure before requiring medication (medication
should not necessarily be prescribed for every person who has had one seizure),
but that doesn't mean that the event should be ignored. The chance of having
another seizure sometime in the future is approximately 20%, and that is the
reason why it is required that people need to be seizure free for 3-6 months
before being allowed to drive a vehicle (the required time varies between
states), scuba dive, sky dive, or participate in other potentially risky
situations in which a seizure could put the individual or others in danger.
Generalized seizures are frightening to witness. There is loss of
consciousness; the body stiffens, arches, and may shake; and grunting sounds may
be heard. But most seizures stop themselves and the role of the Good Samaritan,
bystander, friend, or family is to protect the individual from themselves.
Steps to take if you witness an individual having a seizure include:
The first step is to take a deep breath and try to stay calm.
Make certain that there is nothing nearby that can be struck by the
person having the seizure.
Don't hold the person down. A seizure is a violent and forceful event,
and bystander injury is a possibility.
Do not put anything in the victim's mouth. A person who is seizing can't
swallow their tongue and usually are breathing adequately. Forcing open the
jaw can break teeth or get fingers bitten.
If the individual's seizure lasts more than 3-5 minutes, call 911
immediately.
After the seizure stops, lay the person on their side and stay with them
until they are awake or until medical assistance arrives.
By definition, febrile seizures occur when the child has a fever. Most
febrile seizures are generalized. In other words, the whole body may be
involved.
During a generalized seizure, any or all of the following may be seen:
Stiffening of the entire body
Jerking of the arms and legs
Complete lack of response to any stimuli
Eyes deviated, staring, rolling back, moving back and forth
Tightness of the jaws and mouth
Urinary incontinence (wet their pants)
Noisy breathing, labored, slower than normal (unusual for a child to
stop breathing completely)
Although a fever technically is any body temperature above the normal of 98.6 degrees F. (37 degrees C.), in practice a person is usually not considered
Epilepsy is a brain disorder in which the person has seizures. There are two kinds of seizures, focal and generalized. There are many causes of epilepsy.
Roseola is a viral illness that most commonly affects young children. Symptoms and signs include a sudden high fever that lasts for three to five days,
Nausea is an uneasiness of the stomach that often precedes vomiting. Nausea and vomiting are not diseases, but they are symptoms of many conditions. The
Encephalitis is a brain inflammation that causes sudden fever, vomiting, headache, light sensitivity, stiff neck and back, drowsiness, and irritability.
Cerebral palsy (CP) is an abnormality of motor function and postural tone acquired at an early age (even before birth). Cerebral palsy is generally caused
Although a fever could be considered any body temperature above the normal 98.6 F (37 C),
medically, a person is not considered to have a significant fever until the temperature is above 100"...
