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NIH Practice Guidelines for Seizures

Seizures occur due to uncontrolled and disorganized electrical activity in the brain. Seizures can be caused by a variety of disorders, and for this reason the National Institutes of Health have produced clear guidelines on the proper methods to diagnose the causes of and treatments for a seizure. Because seizures can be caused by a number of different factors, individual physicians have the final say on determining the cause of a person's seizure in addition to the general information provided by the National Institutes of Health.

  1. Effects

    • According to MedLine Plus, the National Institutes of Health's medical encyclopedia, seizures are the result of chaotic electrical activity occurring within the brain. For this reason, the secondary symptoms of a seizure can differ depending on the part of the brain that is affected by the electrical activity. The primary symptoms of a seizure include convulsions, or seizing up, of the body and uncontrolled muscle spasms or twitching. Additional symptoms include sudden physical sensations on the skin; an abrupt change in emotional states; hallucinations or bright flashing lights; disturbances in memory or consciousness; twitching or convulsions in the arms, legs or trunk; and the sudden taste of metal or bitterness. Because seizures affect different parts of the brain, some or all of these symptoms may be present.

    Causes

    • The MedLine Plus online medical encyclopedia also describes a number of causes for seizures that range from medical conditions to brain injuries. People with epilepsy experience seizures without any additional medical conditions or injuries to the brain. In some cases, a brain tumor or other growth can cause seizures when left untreated. People suffering from withdrawal from excessive alcohol abuse can also experience seizures. Extremely low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) can also cause seizures, as can low sodium levels. Infants can experience a type of seizure known as a febrile seizure, which occurs as the result of a fever.

    Diagnoses

    • After experiencing a seizure for the first time, you will be taken to the emergency room. Medical professionals will attempt to determine what areas of the brain were affected during the episode by running a series of tests and exams. People experiencing seizures will often undergo a series of blood tests to measure the levels of sugar, salt and other chemicals in the blood. If certain levels are low this can be the cause of the seizure. In addition, physicians and other health professionals will use various machines and equipment to analyze the areas of the brain thought to be the cause of or affected by the seizure. MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scans allow doctors to analyze the areas of the brain without surgery. CT (cranial computed tomography) scans use X-rays to look at the head and skull. EEG (electroencephalogram) tests analyze the presence of disturbances of electricity in the brain. In some cases a spinal tap is performed to analyze the cerebrospinal fluid, the mixture of chemicals and nutrients that protect the brain and spinal column. Based on the results of these tests and scans, in addition to information about your health history and the health history of your family, doctors may then be able to pinpoint the cause of your seizure.

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