A diagnosis of epilepsy can be scary. Your fear of the unknown can be soothed when you find the right neurologist in Old Bridge, NJ. A physician who is a good fit for your family can make all the difference.
Epilepsy in Children
Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder that affects more children than adults regardless of genetics or another background. The average age of childhood epilepsy is 5 years old and younger, though epilepsy can be diagnosed at any age. Children often develop seizures from epilepsy after suffering a concussion from playing sports or other activity that results in head injury. A pediatric neurologist in NJ can help to diagnose and treat epilepsy in your child.
Seizures in children who have epilepsy vary in type, length, and cause. One of the neurologists in New Jersey can help to determine the specifics of epilepsy from which your child suffers. Your child’s epilepsy could be from brain damage or a brain tumor, a stroke, or a chemical imbalance in their brain. Talk to one of the highly-trained neurologists in New Jersey for guidance and treatment for your child’s epilepsy.
Types of Epileptic Seizures
A seizure is a type of brain activity that usually comes on without notice and cannot be controlled. A neurologist in Old Bridge, NJ, can help you to understand the types of epileptic seizures. A simple focal/partial seizure affects vision. A complex/partial seizure affects emotion and memory. Focal seizures can begin similarly to some migraines with an aura.
A generalized seizure affects the patient’s brain on both sides. This could be a petit mal seizure that elicits relatively minor outward signs like a facial twitch or rapid blinking. Petit mal seizures are short-lived, usually less than 30 seconds. A pediatric neurologist in NJ likely will be able to break down your child’s type of seizure in a way that makes more sense to you.
Grand mal seizures are longer in duration and more dangerous. During this type of seizure, your child’s body will probably alternately shake, contract, and relax. The aftermath could include a headache and problems with speech and vision. A conversation with your neurologist in New Jersey can help you to understand these and other types of seizures that affect your child who has epilepsy.
Contact the Neurology Center for Epilepsy and Seizures today to learn how your child’s epilepsy can best be treated.
