What causes a seizure in an older person?
Seizures among older adults can be attributed to myriad conditions that affect the brain; the Epilepsy Foundation states that seizures are associated with physical changes in an elder’s brain caused by a stroke, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, or brain tumors.
What causes random seizures in adults?
Potential causes include central nervous system infections, brain tumors, stroke, and brain injuries. The use or stopping of certain substances, including alcohol, may also trigger a seizure. The type of seizure depends on the cause. If you have a seizure for the first time, get medical attention as soon as possible.
What to do when an elderly has a seizure?
If someone is experiencing a seizure for the first time, you should seek immediate medical attention. If it’s a person with epilepsy who has experienced seizures before and experiences them on a regular basis, their doctor may advise waiting about three minutes before seeking medical attention.
What to do if a senior has a seizure?
How do you treat an elderly seizure?
Drugs for first-line monotherapy of seizures in elderly patients include carbamazepine, valproic acid, oxcarbazepine, gabapentin, and lamotrigine. The general perception is that seizures occur most often in infants but rarely in older adults.
What does a seizure look like in an elderly person?
Partial seizures in the elderly may produce uncontrolled shaking, alter emotions, or change the way things look, smell, feel, taste or sound to the person having the seizure. When people have these experiences, yet stay fully conscious, the episodes are called simple partial seizures.
Can a person have seizures without being epileptic?
Some people experience symptoms similar to those of an epileptic seizure but without any unusual electrical activity in the brain. When this happens it is known as a non-epileptic seizure (NES). NES is most often caused by mental stress or a physical condition.
Are there seizures in older people with epilepsy?
Complex partial seizures are particularly common in older people with epilepsy, but they occur at any age. Sometimes people wander during these episodes. In rare cases they may become very agitated, make flailing movements with their arms, try to undress, try to run, scream, or cower in fear.
What should a pharmacist know about seizures in the elderly?
Pharmacists should be familiar with the symptomatic treatable causes of seizures, including those that are drug-induced, particularly since polypharmacy is a significant concern among geriatric patients. 1. Gidal BE, Garnett Wr. Epilepsy. In: DiPiro JT, Talbert RL, Yee GC, et al., eds. Pharmacotherapy: A Pathophysiologic Approach. 6th ed.
What are the signs of absence of seizures?
Finally, absence seizures can typically appear bland, with extremely brief (i.e., seconds) periods of altered consciousness. 1 Between seizure episodes, there are usually no objective signs of epilepsy. 1
Are there any free courses for seniors with epilepsy?
Seniors & Seizures is a free course offered by the Epilepsy Foundation. You can also get free continuing education credits for participating. Epilepsy can affect people at any age, but it’s more likely to develop in older adults. How do I know if it’s epilepsy?