Many times if you suffer from a blow to the head from a car accident, there are additional conditions that may occur after your head injury occurs. Conditions like post-concussion syndrome or amnesia are examples of this, but another disorder, epilepsy, can be just as difficult to live with as the other two.After any kind of blow to the head, you should always get checked out by a doctor to make sure you dont have a concussion, a contusion or a hematoma. Further tests can conclude whether or not you may not have epilepsy which can lead to different types of seizures.

What Is Epilepsy?

Epilepsy refers to a disorder that results in the generation of electrical signals inside the brain. These signals cause recurring seizures. There are different kinds of seizures, and the symptoms range from blank stares for a few seconds to full-fledged convulsions. About one in 100 people in the United States have unprovoked seizures, but at least two unprovoked seizures are required for any kind of epilepsy diagnosis.Even small seizures require some kind of treatment because of their danger during things such as driving. Treatment can be medications or surgery, although if your child has epilepsy caused by a traumatic brain injury, they may outgrow it as they get older.

What Is A Seizure?

Seizures are the main symptoms of epilepsy because epilepsy is caused by abnormal activity in brain cells. Seizures can produce any one of the following things:
  • Complete loss of consciousness
  • Temporary confusion
  • A staring spell
  • Uncontrollable jerking motions in arms and legs
Symptoms vary depending on the type of the seizure, and in most cases, if you have epilepsy, you tend to have the same seizure every time. Doctors classify seizures under one of two categories: partial and generalized.Partial SeizuresPartial seizures are also called focal seizures are seizures that result from abnormal activity in one part of the brain. Partial seizures fall into two sub-categories:
  • Simple partial No loss of consciousness, but they can alter emotions or change the way your senses interpret things. There may also be involuntary jerking of body parts and/or sensory symptoms like tingling or vertigo.
  • Complex partial These seizures do alter consciousness causing you to lose your awareness for a while. Complex partial seizures usually result in staring and accidental movements like hand rubbing, chewing or twitching.
Generalized SeizuresGeneralized seizures are seizures that can involve the entire brain. These seizures have four sub-types:
  • Absence seizures staring, subtle bodily movement and brief losses in consciousness
  • Myoclonic seizures usually are sudden jerks or twitches in arms/legs
  • Atonic seizures cause loss in normal muscle tone causing you to collapse or fall down (hence the term drop attack)
  • Tonic-clonic seizures (also called grand mal seizures) the most powerful of all types of seizures which cause a loss of consciousness as well as body stiffening and shaking with a loss of bladder control.

How Is Epilepsy Diagnosed?

To determine whether or not you have epilepsy, your doctor may use one of a couple different tests. Tests can be neurological exams to test your motor abilities or blood tests to check for infections that can cause seizures. Your doctor may also take images of your brain with tests such as an MRI or CT scan to determine if there are abnormalities within the brain.

Is Epilepsy Treatable?

Doctors usually start treatment of epilepsy with medication. Most people with epilepsy can be seizure-free by using an anti-epileptic drug alone. Other medications can reduce the frequency and power of their seizures. Finding the right medication and dosage can be difficult. Your doctor might prescribe a single drug that is relatively weak in dosage and may increase it gradually until your seizures are controlled.Anti-seizure medications have side effects that include fatigue, dizziness or weight gain, but more severe side effects can include depression or suicidal thoughts and behaviors.Surgery commonly happens when tests show seizures were caused by small areas of your brain that dont interfere with vital functions like speech, hearing or language. In these surgeries, your surgeon removes the area of the brain causing the seizure. If your seizures originate in a section that cant be removed, your doctor may advise on a different kind of surgery where a series of cuts are made. These cuts are designed to keep seizures from spreading to other parts of the brain.

Call us now to Maximize your Brain Injury Settlement

Since 1992, the brain injury lawyers at the Pines Salomon Injury Lawyers, APC. in San Diego have been helping people just like you deal with a personal injury claim if you have physical and emotional damages as a result of a traumatic brain injury. We know that the legal process can at times be very confusing, but our experience can help guide you through the process.Dont worry about fighting insurance companies. Our experienced brain injury attorneys in San Diego are here to help you recover the maximum personal injury settlement with the least amount of stress.If you or a loved one has symptoms of a traumatic brain injury, we urge you to contact our bilingual offices in San Diego as soon as possible following the cause at 1-858-551-2090 or please click here for a FREE consultation with an experienced brain injury attorney. We handle all cases on a contingency fee basis, which means that you owe nothing until we recover money on your behalf.