Discover Complete Care for Epilepsy in Las Vegas and Henderson, NV

Epilepsy is a spectrum of brain disorders that cause seizures. They can be caused by a variety of factors that interrupt normal nerve activity in the brain.

At Dignity Health - St. Rose Dominican hospitals, we provide an expertise in treating neurological conditions, including epilepsy in Las Vegas and Henderson, NV. Find a neurological surgeon near you or call (702) 616-4900 to learn more.

Common Symptoms of Epilepsy

The primary sign of epilepsy is having multiple seizures over a course of time. Having a single seizure due to high fever or head trauma is not considered epilepsy.

Seizure symptoms vary from person to person and also change depending on where the seizure originates in the brain. Common signs include:

• Periods of staring, usually for 15 seconds or less, which you don’t remember later
• Shaking of the arms and legs or the whole body
• Abnormal head shaking
• Rigid muscles
• Convulsions
• Momentary inability to speak

Other symptoms include pre-seizure mood changes, tingling sensation, smelling odors that don’t exist, or just feeling abnormal.

Causes of Epilepsy

Epilepsy is caused by the disruption of normal nerve activity in the brain. This disruption can be caused by many factors, including:

• Congenital brain defects, or problems that are present at birth
• Brain injury
• Brain tumors
• Abnormally formed blood vessels in the brain
• Stroke
• Blood chemistry abnormalities
• Infections, such as meningitis
• Alzheimer’s disease or dementia

The root cause of epilepsy is unknown, which is called “idiopathic.” In some cases, epilepsy runs in families.

Epilepsy Treatment at Dignity Health - St. Rose Dominican

Your treatment for epilepsy will focus on reducing the number and severity of seizures. Depending on the cause, treatment strategies may include addressing underlying health conditions like a brain tumor, medications to reduce the frequency of seizures, or surgery to remove brain tissue or implant a device to regulate nerve function.

Although there is no way to completely prevent it from occurring, since epilepsy can arise from brain trauma, parents should make sure their children wear helmets when participating in activities with a risk for head injury.

All of our campuses at Dignity Health - St. Rose Dominican hospitals are Joint Commission Certified Primary Stroke Centers, so you can trust your health to our care team.