You’re not alone
Epilepsy is a disorder of the brain that can cause temporary confusion, staring spells, uncontrollable jerking motions of the arms and legs, and unconsciousness. If you or a loved one is suffering from epilepsy or seizures, we can help you discover the cause of your seizures, and if you have epilepsy, work with you to find a treatment plan that helps you manage your condition.
What is epilepsy?
Epilepsy is a neurological condition that makes you more susceptible to having recurrent, unprovoked seizures. It’s one of the most common disorders of the nervous system and affects people of all ages, races, and ethnic backgrounds.
What are the symptoms of a seizure?
The signs and symptoms of a seizure can vary from staring into space to full-body spasm. These are some of the most common symptoms of seizure:
- Staring
- Jerking movements of the arms and legs
- Stiffening of the body
- Loss of consciousness
- Breathing problems or breathing stops
- Loss of bowel or bladder control
- Falling suddenly for no apparent reason, especially when associated with loss of consciousness
- Not responding to noise or words for brief periods
- Appearing confused or in a haze
- Nodding the head rhythmically, when associated with loss of awareness or even loss of consciousness
- Periods of rapid eye blinking and staring
Epilepsy monitoring
If you suspect you might be dealing with epilepsy, you are not alone. In fact, you are in the company of 2.4 million other adults and children, along with another 150,000 who are newly diagnosed each year.
In addition to offering diagnostics and electroencephalograms (EEGs), we are the first in Palm Beach County to have a dedicated Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (EMU) for patients in need of further assessment. The unit employs skilled technologists and a core nursing staff committed to providing the best possible inpatient monitoring experience.
Our EMU is equipped with Long-Term Video Monitoring, a specialized form of an EEG in which the patient is continuously monitored on video while brainwave activity is recorded. It allows physicians to:
- Identify the onset triggers for seizures
- Differentiate epileptic events from psychogenic seizures
- Establish the specific type of epilepsy
The video captured with this testing can be used to detect epileptic activity not detectable in routine EEGs and can be critical for the diagnosis of epilepsy.
