Treatment for absence seizure condition

Absence seizure and the main characteristics

The term that is used for brief and unexpected lapse of consciousness is an absence seizure, and it is only one type of seizures. It is much more typical of children than of adults, and it does not last longer than a few seconds. In that short period of time, a child or a person experiencing it may leave an impression of simply staring somewhere, or it may even move around without any purpose. Because of the fact that they do not last longer than a few seconds, it may take some time for a parent to notice this problem in a child. Later, when they are well familiar with the signs that may be expected in such cases, besides staring, symptoms that may indicate these seizures are fluttering eyelids, smacking of lips, chewing, or even small movements of arms. Once they are over, a child or a person will not be aware of what has happened. There are several forms of absence seizures, but those that are the most common are generally mild and they are not dangerous. Still, those that experience it have to be supervised constantly, because it is possible for them to get injured in some way during that short lapse of consciousness; if nothing else, then there is a risk of falling, stumbling, or hitting something. More severe forms last longer than 5 minutes, and such cases should immediately be reported to the doctor, since their length indicates a more serious and more dangerous form of the seizure.

Treatment for absence seizure condition

The goals of the treatment for absence seizures include reduction of number of seizures, prevention of an accidental injury that may happen during the seizure, prevention of seizure interference with every day activities and learning. For these purposes there is a wide range of anti-seizure medications that may help, which is why it is important to find the most suitable one and to determine the right dosage. As long as the blood level of the prescribed medication is maintained, the person should be all right. Still, it is important to bear in mind that the majority of the medications has certain side effects, and some of them may be very serious. Since, it is impossible to predict in which case some of them may appear, it is necessary to pay attention and to report all the unusual reactions and symptoms that the treated person may experience.