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Which Specialist Should I Consult For Seizures?
Question: My 15 year old has started having seizures but I am not sure what kind of seizures they are or what is causing them. There is no history of epilepsy on either side of his family. He has had 4 seizures since March 21, 2016 and they have all occurred during the mornings. He has some physiological issues like ADHD and he is also dyslexic. I am not sure what kind of doctor I need to take him to or try to get him in to see. There was no rapid eye movement during the first 2 seizures but there was some rapid eye movement during this last one which occurred this morning. Please help me.
Brief Answer:
Read below.
Detailed Answer:
I read your question carefully and I understand your concern.
It might have been useful if you provided some more detail on the seizures, such as:
-Have they occurred while he was still asleep, waking up or after he was already up?
-If he was awake any warning or unusual feeling preceding the seizure?
-Is there head or eye deviation on one side or the other, if yes which side
-motor activity in the body, is it on one side or both, if the later both at the same time? Any particular body posturing? Any movements such as blinking, lip smacking,
-does he comprehend simple orders during seizure?
-any tongue biting, loss of bladder function control?
-how long do the seizures last?
-what about after the seizures, is he sleepy, confused etc, any difficulty commanding the limbs, for how long?
Anyway to answer your question the kind of doctor you need to see is definitively a neurologist. Apart from careful questioning and physical neurological exam, he will probably want to order a head MRI (to check for brain lesions such as stroke, tumor, infections, born malformations etc), EEG (electroencephalogram - placing electrodes on the scalp to record brain electrical activity), some blood tests to check for infection, inflammation, metabolic disorders etc.
Afterwards judging from seizure type, EEG and MRI findings it will be decided on further treatment.
I remain at your disposal for other questions.
Read below.
Detailed Answer:
I read your question carefully and I understand your concern.
It might have been useful if you provided some more detail on the seizures, such as:
-Have they occurred while he was still asleep, waking up or after he was already up?
-If he was awake any warning or unusual feeling preceding the seizure?
-Is there head or eye deviation on one side or the other, if yes which side
-motor activity in the body, is it on one side or both, if the later both at the same time? Any particular body posturing? Any movements such as blinking, lip smacking,
-does he comprehend simple orders during seizure?
-any tongue biting, loss of bladder function control?
-how long do the seizures last?
-what about after the seizures, is he sleepy, confused etc, any difficulty commanding the limbs, for how long?
Anyway to answer your question the kind of doctor you need to see is definitively a neurologist. Apart from careful questioning and physical neurological exam, he will probably want to order a head MRI (to check for brain lesions such as stroke, tumor, infections, born malformations etc), EEG (electroencephalogram - placing electrodes on the scalp to record brain electrical activity), some blood tests to check for infection, inflammation, metabolic disorders etc.
Afterwards judging from seizure type, EEG and MRI findings it will be decided on further treatment.
I remain at your disposal for other questions.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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