please help i have one of my friend,during his sleep he freezes and foamy saliva comes out of the mouth..could this be a type of epilepsy? What're the common types of epilepsy?
There are hundreds of epilepsy syndromes, many of them very rare. These syndromes are often named for their symptoms or for the part of the brain where they originate. Each type of epilepsy has different behavioral effects and is treated with different methods. Many of these epilepsy syndromes originate in childhood or even in infancy.
Others begin in adulthood and even in old age. Except for different types of seizures, some of the most common types of epilepsy are:
Absence Epilepsy: People with absence epilepsy have repeated absence seizures. Absence epilepsy tends to run in families. The seizures frequently begin in childhood or adolescence. If the seizures begin in childhood, they usually stop at puberty. Although the seizures don't have a lasting effect on intelligence or other brain functions, children with absence epilepsy frequently have so many seizures that it interferes with school and other normal activities.
Temporal Lobe Epilepsy: Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is the most frequent cause of partial seizures and aura. The temporal lobe is located close to the ear. It is the part of the brain where smell is processed and where the choice is made to express a thought or remain silent. TLE often begins in childhood. Repeated TLE seizures can damage the hippocampus, a part of the brain that is important for memory and learning. Although the damage progresses very slowly, it is important to treat TLE as early as possible.
Frontal Lobe Epilepsy: The frontal lobes of the brain lie behind the forehead. They are the largest of the five lobes and are thought to be the centers that control personality and higher thought processes, including language and speech. Frontal lobe epilepsy causes a cluster of short seizures that start and stop suddenly. The symptoms depend upon the part of the frontal lobe affected.
Occipital Lobe Epilepsy: The occipital lobe lies at the back of the skull. Occipital lobe epilepsy is like frontal and temporal lobe epilepsies, except that the seizures usually begin with visual hallucinations, rapid blinking, and other symptoms related to the eyes.
Parietal Lobe Epilepsy: The parietal lobe lies between the frontal and temporal lobes. Parietal lobe epilepsy is similar to other types in part because parietal lobe seizures tend to spread to other areas of the brain.
What're the symptoms of epilepsy?
Almost any type of behavior that happens repetitively may represent a seizure. There are several different types of seizures that can be manifest in the pediatric age group. Some of the common types include auras, generalized tonic clonic seizures (grand mal seizures), partial seizures, absence seizures. The seizures may occur rarely or every day. Many people with epilepsy have no symptoms between seizures and lead normal lives. Some people have no symptoms for
years and may be weaned off medication.
During childhood however there are several other conditions that may be mistaken for seizures. Some of the common entities that are misdiagnosed as seizures include breath holding spells,
syncope, psychological conditions, staring spells due to inattention.
There are many forms of epilepsy, each with its own characteristic symptoms. Whatever the form, the disease is caused by a problem in communication between the brain's nerve cells. Normally, such cells communicate with one another by sending tiny electrical signals back and forth. For someone with epilepsy, the signals from one group of nerve cells occasionally become too strong, so strong that they overwhelm neighboring parts of the brain. It is this sudden, excessive electrical discharge that causes the basic symptom of epilepsy, which is called an epileptic seizure, fit, or convulsion. It is not yet known what causes the brain's communication system to misfire in this fashion, or
An aura is usually the first symptom experienced during a seizure. Aura can occur just prior to the occurrence of the seizure or as much as several hours before it strikes. It may consist of nothing but a sense of tension or some other ill-defined feeling, but some epileptics have quite specific auras such as an impression of smelling unpleasant odors or hearing peculiar sounds, distorted vision, or an odd bodily sensation, particularly in the stomach. Many epileptics learn to recognize their special aura, and this may give them time to avoid accidents when they become unconscious.
Petit mal epilepsy is a disease of childhood that does not usually persist past late adolescence. A child may have this form of epilepsy if, from time to time, he or she suddenly stops whatever activity is going on and stares blankly around for a few seconds (sometimes up to half a minute). During the blank interval, known as a petit mal seizure, the child is unaware of what is happening. There may be a slight jerking movement of the head or an arm, but petit mal seizures do not generally involve falling to the g |
