What Is Epilepsy Affecting Adolescents?

Seizures or epilepsy are brain disorders where the person has repeated convulsions over a period of time. They’re episodes of disturbed brain activity that cause changes in attention and behavior. Seizures are considered the most common observed neurological dysfunction in children. They are very sudden intermittent episodes of altered consciousness lasting seconds to minutes and include involuntary tonic (stiffening of muscles) and clonic (altering contraction and relaxation of muscles) movements.

At times, parents report that students with brain disorders are being excluded from extracurricular activities, being sent home repeatedly for safety reasons, or placed in a more “restrictive “class setting for his or her abilities. All students deserve a chance to show their skill in a classroom, instead of immediately being place in a “lower level” class. “The most common neurological condition that occurs in school is epilepsy. Because it often occurs in childhood, epilepsy is likely the most common neurological condition encountered by teachers”(Barnett). Students should talk to their neurologist or counselor to provide a special plan to follow in case of seizures, anxiety attacks, or mental breakdowns in school. This will reduce the anxiety

It is hard to live with Epilepsy because that person with epilepsy has to be careful whenever they do something. The person with Epilepsy can take medicine to help control their chances of a seizure. Anyone can get Epilepsy. One in twenty-six people get Epilepsy, three million Americans have Epilepsy, sixty-five people worldwide have Epilepsy. Each year 200,000 people are diagnosed with Epilepsy. Epilepsy is a negative mutation, because it can make an Epileptic person die from have to many to many seizures, also because it makes new pathways on a Epileptic patient’s brain. As you can see there are a lot of people who have Epilepsy, they can still live their lives to the limit.

Epilepsy is a brain disorder in which individuals have recurrent seizures. Seizures can occur in children and adults of any age. There are around 50 million people in the world who has the disorder. Individuals in developing countries are at a higher risk for developing the disorder. Seizures occur due to hyper-excitability and hyper-synchronization of neurons. Action potential transmits messages and it leads to depolarization. When neurons are uncontrollably depolarizes because of hyper-excitability due to too little inhibition, it cause a seizure. Seizures can last from a few seconds to a few minutes. As spontaneously they can develop is also as fast and spontaneous they can end.

Epilepsy and Seizure Disorder: All actions and functions travel to the different parts of the brain much like electrical wiring. The “electricity” moves from one area or wired circuit through another by jumping and traveling from area to area much like electricity Due to abnormal electricity and “jumping” seizures can occur. Epilepsy is where these electoral abnormalities are reoccurring often causing many seizures. The Tonic-Clonic or Grand Mal seizures that CM has is from muscles tightening and relaxing very fast due to the abnormal jumping of electricity in the brain. P. 417

Firstly, Epilepsy diagnosis is higher in young children then in adults and every 1 in 200 children has epilepsy. This means that most young children cannot have a proper education since they experience unexpected seizures and may have to have a carer or adult with them at all times. Also, behavior issues are constantly being linked with epileptic children due to low self-esteem from overprotection and embarrassment about their ‘disability’. Many parents of epileptic children feel out of control, and give their child too much leeway in other parts of life – this also causes more behavioral issues. If we simply had a cure for epilepsy, all of these children could be saved.

With ever-increasing cases of pediatric epilepsy, studies detailing the etiology of epilepsy and its association with developmental delay are progressively

Epilepsy, also called a seizure disorder, is a disease that affects many people around the world. Epilepsy causes people to have epileptic seizures. This illness causes about 50,000 deaths each year and believe it or not, the harm that a person could inflict on themselves is more dangerous that the seizure itself.

Before thorough medical research on epilepsy, it was thought to be a demonic entity causing the sudden movements. With scientific advancements, epilepsy can be characterized as a condition that affects the nervous system through a series of seizures. Within the brain presents abnormalities that cause convulsions throughout the body. Epilepsy can be broken down into two types and further specified by key symptoms the individual faces during an epileptic episode. There is no single cause for epilepsy; many factors such as genetics and traumatic injuries can trigger seizures, which can develop into a type of epilepsy syndrome. This condition cannot be cured, but can be treated through a series of medications after diagnosing the specific type of epilepsy. Individuals diagnosed with epilepsy will more than likely live with the condition throughout their entire life, leading them to change or add to their lifestyle to accommodate this condition. Charitable organization have benefited the epileptic community by raising awareness and conducting studies to find better treatments.

Pediatric epilepsy is a common condition in the United States. Around 326,000 children experience epilepsy under the age of 15, and there are around 200,000 new diagnoses yearly (“What Happens during a Seizure”, 2014). The age of onset can begin as early as infancy and is most common during childhood. In some cases, there is no specific cause for epilepsy. However, the most common cause is a birth defect or developmental disorder. Those that have experienced head trauma, brain infections, or a minor brain injury can also lead to seizures, or epilepsy. The developing brain is more prone to seizures therefor there is a higher incidence in the pediatric population (“Pediatric Epilepsy & Seizures”, 2016).

Epilepsy is not what you think. It is a complicated disease, a disease that doesn't just affect one type of person or age. Over fifty million men, women, and children cope with this disease daily. Epilepsy is a mysterious disease to those who are unfamiliar and uneducated about the disease. Many people have preconceived notions about Epileptics. Researching the topic thoroughly, the five preconceived notions I explored have been proven to be false.

In today’s society, many different kinds of school educations for children and teenager are available. Teenagers can attend a regular high school, a private school or they can get homeschooled. Most of the teenagers with epilepsy are able to attend a regular school because they have normal intelligence. Especially because of the fact that, if the teenager needs special aids, the most schools are able to offer this. However, it is always important to keep in mind that a teenager with epilepsy is able to learn as well and efficient as other teenagers.

According to health expert Stacey Chillemi, Epilepsy affects millions of people worldwide, with more than two million people in the United States suffering from the disorder (Chillemi 2006). There are several learning issues that can affect children with epilepsy. Dr. Amy Morgan states that “Approximately half of the children who have epilepsy will have some sort of learning difficulty. The most common difficulties would be attention language and memory”(Morgan 2006). Even when seizures are controlled epilepsy still has an effect on a child’s development and ability to function normally. Cognitive impairments that affect language,

Epilepsy is one of the most common chronic neurological disorders affecting about 50 million people worldwide (Leach and Abassi., 2013). The incidence of epilepsy in childhood is more than twice that in the adult population (Salomon JA et al., 2012).

Epilepsy is a condition in which a person has two or more seizures affecting a variety of mental and physical functions. Epilepsy is one of the oldest conditions of the human race. Epilepsy Awareness is important because Epilepsy is a widely misunderstood disorder. The reason that Epilepsy has been misunderstood has been mainly due to research not being conducted until the middle of the nineteenth century. There are six main types of seizures and many treatments that can assist an epileptic patient. Many facts and myths exist about a person who has Epilepsy, which, is why it is an important disorder to understand. A person living with Epilepsy can typically have a normal life after seeking medical advice from doctors.