What are seizures?

Seizures result from intense bouts of abnormal electrical activity in your brain. This abnormal activity may cause abrupt symptoms such as shaking and convulsions, or it may not create any detectable symptoms at all.

The duration severity, and frequency of seizures varies tremendously from person to person. It’s possible to have only one seizure, or to experience them repeatedly. Recurrent seizures may be a sign of epilepsy or another seizure disorder.

What are different types of seizures?

The two main types of seizures are generalized and partial. Generalized seizures affect your entire brain, while partial, or focal seizures begin in a specific brain region. Focal seizures can also spread to your entire brain.

The six main subtypes of generalized seizures include:

• Absence (petit mal) seizures
• Tonic seizures
• Atonic seizures
• Clonic seizures
• Myoclonic seizures
• Tonic-clonic (grand mal) seizures

What are the symptoms of seizures?

Seizure symptoms vary from person to person and depend on the type of seizure you experience. If you have epilepsy or recurrent seizures, your symptoms may tend to be the same during repeat episodes.

Common signs and symptoms of seizures include:

• Convulsions
• Confusion
• Impaired speech
• Staring into space
• Loss of muscle tone
• Loss of consciousness
• Mood changes
• Repetitive movements
• Tingling or dizziness

How does medical marijuana treat seizures?

Although more research is necessary to determine the exact means of action, scientists believe that cannabidiol (CBD), one of the main components of the cannabis plant, binds to receptors in your brain in a way that reduces seizures.

Unlike tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), CBD doesn’t make you feel “high.” Medicines specifically-formulated with high levels of CBD and low levels of THC may help reduce seizures without causing the psychoactive effects of cannabis if you don’t want to feel that.

Medical marijuana can provide relief from seizure disorders when taken on its own or in combination with other anti-seizure medications.

A recent double-blind, placebo-controlled study published in The New England Journal of Medicine shows medical marijuana to be an effective anti-seizure treatment for children and teenagers with Dravet Syndrome, a rare an notoriously drug-resistant seizure disorder.

If you have epilepsy or another seizure disorder and want to explore medical marijuana as a treatment, call Holistic Medicine, LLC, or book an appointment online today.