What are the 3 phases of a seizure and what happens during
these phases? List 3 possible causes of
a seizure? Also respond to 2 other students posts.
3 Phases of a Seizure:
1.
Tonic Phase: The body stiffens for less than a
minute. This rigidity restricts lung and chest expansion due to the tight hold
which may eliminate breathing for that duration of time. Patients often hold
the arms stiff in an uppercut position close to their chest, urinate on
themselves, and/or bit their tongue due to the clenching of the jaw muscle.
2.
Clonic Phase: This is the phase where the body
participates in a jerking, violent motion for about 60 to 120 seconds (possibly
even five minutes). It is best to wait out the seizure and care treat the
patient thereafter. Some signs include the active shaking/uncontrollable
jerking, foaming/drooling mouth, and possible cyanosis. The patient is unable
to swallow saliva during their seizure due to the muscle contractions and well
as the tongue possibly blocking access to the trachea, so the saliva often
times turns into a foam as it collects and sits in the oral cavity. Cyanosis
occurs due to lack of circulation of blood flow containing oxygen to the brain.
3.
Postictal Phase: After the convulsions stop,
then the patient begins the postictal phase. After all, seizures occur due to
the misfiring in the brain so the patient may experience an altered, confused,
drowsy, unconscious state and/or experience a headache.
Some Causes of a Seizure Include:
1.
Stroke: caused by clots and bleeding in the
brain.
2.
Traumatic Brain Injury: which could result in a
rupture causing internal bleeding allowing glucose to eat away at the muscle
tissue and kill the brain-to-body signal
3.
Hypoglycemia: low blood sugar (below 70mg/dL).
The body is suffering from limited insulin which turns glucose into energy
putting the body in a state of shock (aka: insulin shock). Without enough
insulin, then the body collects excessive amounts of glucose in the blood
instead of turning that glucose into energy.
4.
Congenital Brain Defects: hereditary and often
seen in infants and young children
5.
Metabolic: caused by irregularities in the
patient’s body chemistry/unbalanced chemical composition
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