Epilepsy & Seizures.
Assessment and follow-up for seizures, blackouts, and established epilepsy.
A seizure happens when there is a sudden burst of abnormal electrical activity in the brain. Some seizures involve shaking and loss of consciousness, but others can look like brief staring spells, confusion, unusual sensations, sudden falls, lip smacking, repeated movements, or episodes the person cannot remember clearly. Not every blackout is epilepsy, and not every seizure means a lifelong seizure disorder. The first task is to understand what actually happened, whether there were triggers, what witnesses saw, and whether tests such as EEG, imaging, or blood work are needed. For people already diagnosed with epilepsy, outpatient neurology care focuses on seizure control, medication tolerability, safety, driving and work advice, school or workplace planning, pregnancy considerations when relevant, and reducing avoidable triggers. A careful review is also useful after breakthrough seizures, missed doses, medication side effects, or uncertainty about whether events are epileptic seizures, fainting, panic episodes, sleep events, or another neurological problem.
When to seek help
Book a neurology consultation after a first unexplained seizure-like episode, recurrent blackouts, suspected absence spells, or breakthrough seizures despite medication. Emergency care is needed if a seizure lasts more than five minutes, repeated seizures occur without recovery, there is serious injury, pregnancy, breathing difficulty, or this is the first known seizure.