Sudden bursts of abnormal electrical activity in the brain can trigger seizures that make you convulse, twitch, or shake violently. The symptoms of seizures differ from one patient to the next, depending on the root cause of seizures. The Multiple Sclerosis and Neurology Institute has highly-trained seizure specialists in Austin who use advanced techniques to diagnose the root cause of your seizures, following which they curate the ideal treatment plan for you. Please schedule a consultation to explore your treatment options for seizures in Austin.
Seizures FAQs
What are seizures?
Seizures are uncontrollable and sudden electrical disturbances in the brain, which can cause changes in consciousness, movements, and feeling. Most seizures last from 30 seconds to 2 minutes, but some can also last over 5 minutes. Seizures that last for over 5 minutes are considered to be medical emergencies. If you have two or more seizures, you are generally diagnosed with epilepsy. The symptoms and severity of your seizures generally depend on the type of seizures — the two main types of seizures are focal seizures and generalized seizures.
What are focal seizures?
Focal seizures involve abnormal electrical activities in one part of the brain. Individuals experiencing focal seizures are completely aware that they’re having a seizure, and they may notice changes in the way they feel or how things look and smell. Someone in the grips of a focal seizure may stare into space and become unresponsive, or they might perform repetitive movements, like walking round and round in circles.
You can always ask one of our seizure specialists in Austin if you have any questions.
What are generalized seizures?
Generalized seizures involve abnormal electrical activities in all parts of the brain. The following are the most common types of generalized seizures:
- Tonic-Clonic: Abrupt loss of consciousness, tongue-biting, shaking, and stiffness
- Myoclonic: Brief twitches in the legs and arms
- Clonic: Jerking movements in repetitive patterns
- Atonic: Loss of muscle control
- Tonic: Muscle stiffness and falling down to the ground
- Absence: Repetitive blinking or staring blankly into space
How are seizures diagnosed?
The Multiple Sclerosis and Neurology Institute of Austin performs a thorough evaluation and consultation to diagnose the root cause of your seizures. The medical provider will discuss your symptoms, review your medical history, perform physical and neurological exams, and administer blood tests, lumbar punctures, electroencephalogram (EEG), positron emission tomography (PET) scan, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Based on these tests, the medical provider will identify the root cause of your seizures, allowing them to curate a personalized treatment plan.
What are the treatments for seizures?
If you’ve had only one seizure episode and the medical provider believes there’s no major risk of another episode, then you may not need treatment. But if you’ve had two or more seizures and are diagnosed with epilepsy, our seizure specialist in Austin will curate a personalized treatment plan for you. Depending on your unique condition, your treatment plan may include:
- Seizure medications
- Nutritional therapy
- Responsive neurostimulation
- Deep brain stimulation
- Vagus nerve stimulation
- Surgery
