Seizures..Do you know....25% of all cases develop before the age of five.

It's been a while since I have posted but now I feel the need to discuss Seizure Disorders! As many of you know John Travolta and his lovely wife lost there dear son Jeff Travolta to a seizure disorder. May he rest in peace and may God be with the Travolta family. I wanted to write about this piece because seizures are more common then we think. As a mom I just can't imagine losing my child...the old saying has always been ....Lord take me first before you take my babies(children). As parents we never ever think for one minute that our children would leave this world before we do.

Their are many forms of seizures that most of you probably have never heard of.....well this is your chance to see so many different seizure disorders. I always say this is just my medical opinion but most of all ALL WAYS CHECK WITH YOUR DOCTOR!!! Now if you are a person who has a love one who suffers from seizures or you yourself suffers from them....then this information is for you!

A seizure is a sudden disruption of the brain's normal electrical activity accompanied by altered consciousness and/or other neurological and behavioral manifestations. Epilepsy is a condition characterized by recurrent seizures that may include repetitive muscle jerking called convulsions.Epilepsy affects 1-2% of the population of the United States. Although epilepsy is as common in adults over 60 as in children under 10, 25% of all cases develop before the age of five.About 125,000 new cases of epilepsy are diagnosed each year, and a significant number of children and adults that have not been diagnosed or treated have epilepsy.

Types of seizures

Generalized epileptic seizures occur when electrical abnormalities exist throughout the brain. A partial seizure does not involve the entire brain.

Motor attacks cause parts of the body to jerk repeatedly. A motor attack usually lasts less than an hour and may last only a few minutes.

Visual seizures, which affect the area of the brain that controls sight, cause people to see things that are not there. Auditory seizures affect the part of the brain that controls hearing and cause the patient to imagine voices, music, and other sounds.

A generalized tonic-clonic (grand-mal) seizure begins with a loud cry before the person having the seizure loses consciousness and falls to the ground. The muscles become rigid for about 30 seconds during the tonic phase of the seizure and alternately contract and relax during the clonic phase , which lasts 30-60 seconds.


A grand mal seizure lasts between two and five minutes, and the person may be confused or have trouble talking when he regains consciousness (post-ictal state). He may complain of head or muscle aches.

Absence seizures usually begin with a brief loss of consciousness and last between one and 10 seconds. A person having a petit mal seizure becomes very quiet and may blink, stare blankly, roll his eyes, or move his lips.

Myoclonic seizures are characterized by brief, involuntary spasms of the tongue or muscles of the face, arms, or legs. Myoclonic seizures are most apt to occur when waking after a night's sleep.

So you see, there are many forms of seizures and if you wish to learn more about these seizures or more about your seizure disorder please visit your physician. As you go through this journey with your child or family member just remember you are not alone and that with taking proper medication you can control them.

I wish John Travolta and his family the best through this difficult time and remember the best advise to all of us is tell your love ones every day that you love them and NEVER EVER TAKE ANYTHING FOR GRANTED!!

Until next time:God Bless!!!