Understanding your diagnosis

A seizure is an outward sign of a temporary electrical dysfunction of the controls of the brain. The seizure may be a convulsion, a brief stare, muscle spasms, odd sensations, automatic behaviour, or altered consciousness.  If you or an observer believe that you have experienced a seizure then you should consult your physician as soon as possible. Your doctor will perform some diagnostic tests and be able to tell you exactly what kind of seizure you have.

When someone who has had a seizure seeks medical help, the doctor will want to resolve the following issues:

• was the seizure caused by a short term problem (like fever or infection) that can be corrected?
• was it caused by a continuing problem in the brain?
• is there anything about the structure of the brain that could cause seizures?
• was the seizure an isolated event, or does it mean that the person has epilepsy?

Your doctor will try to find the answers to these questions through:

• a detailed medical history.
• a thorough physical examination, especially of the nervous system.
• analysis of blood and other body fluids.
• electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings.
• magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and/or computerized tomography (CT) scans.

Feel free to ask your physician any questions you may have about your diagnosis. It is important to have a good line of communication with your doctor. This is extremely important. It will help avoid miscommunication and misunderstandings with respect to your understanding of epilepsy as well as the treatment prescribed by your doctor.

Some questions you may have are:

• Is it really necessary to take antiepileptic (AED) medication?
• What might have caused these seizures?
• How will this affect my life?