The lion of the Senate, Senator Edward Kennedy, taken by ambulance from an inaugural luncheon. Wednesday doctors say the reason for his collapse was a seizure. According to Dr. Robert McDonald with Spartanburg Regional, when someone suffers a seizure, the brain is trying to tell us something.
He says, "It is the brain telling us there is something abnormal with it that needs to be taken care of."
In Kennedy's case, Dr. McDonald says a seizure was not surprising.
He notes, "He has a good reason to have a seizure. He's had a brain tumor, most of it removed, he's had radiation, he's had chemotherapy they say he was very tired very emotional. Maybe that could have predisposed."
According to Dr. McDonald, only ten percent of Americans have ever had a seizure. It is when there are abnormal electrical charges in the brain and there can be many causes.
He says, "Toxic exposure to toxins, excessive amounts of drugs, alcohol, metabolic disturbances with the body’s chemistry."
Depending on the person and the cause for the seizure, it can be very mild or life threatening which according to medical reports is what happened in the death of actor John Travolta's son.
Dr. McDonald says, "Mainly it can be life threatening if you go into what is called status epilepticus or you continue on and on and on and despite efforts we cannot get the seizure to stop."
He says the good news is, if caught early, seizures are treatable and many people can go on to lead normal lives with the help of medication.
For more information on seizures click here.
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