Epilepsy and seizures can
make daily life a challenge
If you suffer from seizures and other epilepsy symptoms or care for someone who does, you understand the impact this common disorder can have on daily life.
At Novant Health, our talented clinicians have years of experience diagnosing and caring for patients who suffer from epilepsy and seizures. Our goal is to identify the cause of your seizures and develop a treatment plan that will help you achieve a better quality of life.
What is epilepsy?
Epilepsy is a disorder that causes abnormal electrical activity in the brain. This electrical activity can lead to seizures. Following are some causes of epilepsy:
- Head injury
- Brain tumor
- Low oxygen during birth
- Genetic conditions
If you have epilepsy, experts may not be able to determine the exact cause of your condition; however, by identifying and avoiding the triggers for your seizures, we can help you achieve a better quality of life.
Treatment for epilepsy
You should see an epilepsy expert if:
- Seizures interfere with work or hobbies
- Multiple medications are needed to control symptoms
- Current treatments do not control seizures
- The type and/or severity of seizures changes
- Seizures occur for the first time
Seizures related to epilepsy can vary in frequency, severity and symptoms. There are two types: partial and generalized.
Partial seizures affect a part of the brain and can cause loss of consciousness. If you have partial seizures, you may have:
- Jerky movements
Generalized seizures affect the whole brain. Before a generalized seizure, you may have odd sensations. You may stare into space or lose consciousness and begin convulsing.
The dedicated care team at Novant Health provides care for children and adults who suffer from epilepsy and seizures. If you think you have epilepsy or if a loved one suffers from epilepsy, our talented clinicians can work with you and your family to design a treatment plan.
Our epilepsy centers have leading-edge tools and services such as:
- Epilepsy monitoring units (EMU) in our leading-edge medical centers
- EEGs and ambulatory EEGs
- Vagal nerve stimulator (VNS) programming
- Clinical research trials
Once the site and cause of the seizures are known, our team can develop a plan to stop or reduce your seizures. Options include medication, brain surgery and a device placed in the chest to lower the number of seizures.
Make an appointment with a Novant Health epilepsy expert for you or a loved one today.