Home Remedies and Herbs for Seizure Disorder

A seizure is a type of neurological disruption that occurs when brain cells send out the wrong signals.¹ Seizures can be mild, resulting in involuntary muscle twitches, or severe, leading to full loss of consciousness and jerking of the body.¹ However severe, all types of seizures are considered dangerous as they may occur when performing tasks like driving or swimming. This increases the risk of a car accident, drowning, and even falling, which can lead to broken bones and other injuries.

Experiencing a single seizure does not mean you have a seizure disorder. Seizure disorders, also called epilepsy, are typically diagnosed following two or more episodes of unprovoked seizures.² Seizure disorders affect approximately 1 in 26 people in the United States.²

What Causes Seizure Disorders?

Seizures are known to be caused by over excited nerves in the brain, but what leads to this abnormality in brain cell activity can’t always be determined.1 Known seizure disorder causes include:

• Head injury or trauma
• Stroke or heart attack
• Brain tumor
• Certain medical conditions like meningitis, lupus, or AIDS
• Dementia
• Prenatal injury, such as lack of oxygen or poor nutrition
• Developmental disorders

Risk for epilepsy increases if you have a family history of seizure disorders. Although seizure disorders can occur at any age, they’re most common in early childhood and in patients older than 60.³

Seizure Disorders Symptoms

Seizure disorder symptoms can vary. There are two main types of seizures, including partial seizures and generalized seizures. Partial seizures only affect part of the brain. These symptoms can include:

• Involuntary twitching
• Vertigo
• Changes in vision
• Unusual tastes or smells
• Staring spells
• Loss of time

Generalized seizures affect more or all of the brain and oftentimes result in loss of consciousness. These types of seizures can last anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes. Symptoms can include:

• Jerking of limbs
• Loss of consciousness
• Loss of bladder control

Individuals with a seizure disorder may experience an unusual feeling before the start of a seizure and may be able to tell it is about to happen.¹ 

Seizure disorders are diagnosed through a variety of brain scans and other tests.⁴ Although the condition can’t be cured, seizure disorder symptoms can often be controlled through epilepsy medication or surgery, which improves symptoms for up to 80 percent of patients.² It’s possible for children with seizure disorders to outgrow their condition as they age.

References

1. http://www.umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/condition/seizure-disorders
2. http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/epilepsy/home/ovc-20117206
3. http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/epilepsy/symptoms-causes/dxc-20117207
4. https://medlineplus.gov/epilepsy.html