Northern California Brain Injury Seizure Attorneys
Brain Injury and Seizures
One of the most frightening potential outcomes following severe brain injury is development of a seizure disorder, also known as epilepsy. Seizures are the result of abnormal brain activity and may cause additional damage with each occurrence. Some seizures can be controlled by medications, which you may have to take for several years, but others do not respond to any form of treatment.
When Might Seizures Develop?
If you suffer a head injury, you may experience a seizure immediately after being hurt or you may not have one until months, or even years, after you are injured. The more severe the brain injury is, the greater the risk that you will develop a seizure disorder.
How Do I Know If I Am Experiencing Seizures?
Most people associate seizures with physical twitching and shaking of the body. However, not all symptoms are so obvious. If you have experienced any of the following, you may have had a seizure:
- Loss of consciousness
- A period of time about which you have no memory
- A rush of emotion such as fear, panic or excitement for which there is no discernable reason
- Odd skin sensations that spread over your body
- Vision changes such as seeing flashing lights
- Falling
- Muscle weakness or movement such as twitching that starts in one area and spreads
- Muscle clenching that forces your body, head or limbs to twist
- A bitter or metallic taste
You may experience a seizure for only a few seconds or it can go on for a minute or longer, particularly if body shaking is involved.
Types of Seizure Disorders
In general, a seizure is an abnormal electrical occurrence in the brain. There are different kinds of seizure disorders, and they present differently, depending on which parts of the brain are involved:
- Tonic-clonic seizures
These involve muscle rigidity, violent muscular contractions and unconsciousness followed by a period of sleepiness and amnesia about the actual event. They are also called Grand Mal seizures. - Focal seizures
Simple focal seizures usually do not cause a loss of consciousness or disrupt memory. However, complex focal seizures may cause an altered state of awareness and loss of memory about the event. Focal seizures may involve a variety of symptoms, including all of the ones already mentioned along with complex and repetitive movements, abdominal pain or nausea and/or hallucinations. - Petit mal seizures
These usually last only a few seconds. The only signs are staring, a random pause while walking or in the middle of speaking or sometimes lip smacking or chewing.
If you experience any signs or symptoms of a seizure disorder, particularly if you’ve suffered a brain injury at any time in the past, you should notify your doctor immediately. Even if the kind of seizure from which you suffer does not respond to medication, your physician can teach you and your family how to recognize the onset of a seizure, what to do to prevent additional injury during a seizure and how to recover once it passes.