If your child had a seizure, chances are they will have another. This brain condition is known as epilepsy and it can be treated with medication and in some cases, surgery. Before any of this can happen, however, the doctor has to determine what type of epilepsy your child has. Once this is done, treatment can begin so your child will have a normal life.
Tests
When you first visit a neurologist, they will test your child's motor abilities by asking them to touch their nose with their finger, standing on one foot, and more. They may give your child simple tests to test their mental function.
The doctor will do a blood test to check for any other conditions that may be causing the seizures other than epilepsy. For example, if your child has a genetic condition or if infection is found in their blood either of these things may be the cause of their seizures.
The neurologist will order an electroencephalogram (EEG) to help them with their diagnosis. With this type of test electrodes are attached to the scalp. The doctor will ask your child to do things, such as watch flashing lights on a screen, and the electrodes record your child's brain waves.
The EEG may be done in the doctor's office or they may put your child in the hospital for an awake EEG. With this, your child will have to stay awake for a certain amount of time before they go to the hospital for the EEG. This amount of time may be 12 hours or 24 hours. This test can help your child's doctor determine the area of your child's brain the seizures are coming from.
A CT may also be ordered. This is much like taking an x-ray of your child's brain. This test can show if there are any other problems with your child's brain that could be causing the seizures, such as a brain cyst or a brain tumor.
Treatment
The most common treatment for epilepsy is medication. It will likely take a lot of trial and error before the right type and dose of medications work best. Some common medications used include Lamictal, Clonazepam, Carbamazepine, Lacosamide, and Clobazam.
The doctor will start your child out on a low dosage and gradually increase it until they no longer have seizures. They will monitor the side effects as they increase the dosage.
In some cases, the doctor can do brain surgery to greatly reduce the number of seizures your child has. The neurologist can tell you if your child is a good candidate for this type of surgery. During the surgery the doctor will remove a brain lobe, a brain lesion, or only part of a brain lobe. What they do depends on the area the seizures are coming from.
Talk to a neurologist, such as at Allegheny Brain And Spine Surgeons, and they can give you much more information about epilepsy.
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