Epilepsy
Epilepsy, a neurological disorder, involves recurring seizures caused by abnormal brain activity. Additional symptoms you may face include unconsciousness, muscle spasms and irregular behaviors. Your care may include medication, therapy or brain surgery.
Epilepsy and seizure care in Western North Carolina
As the main symptom of epilepsy, seizures can impact your life. We'll help you manage them.
At Mission Health Physicians, we have a team of skilled, compassionate epilepsy specialists who are board certified and prepared to gain a deep understanding of your condition. We understand how taxing and restrictive epilepsy can be on your daily life, so we work to help you take control.
Related specialties
Learn more about our related specialties.
Epilepsy treatment plans
Once diagnosed correctly, our team of physicians, diagnostic technicians, nurses and hospitalists help you manage your seizures and understand your triggers.
Diagnosing seizures
Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder that may cause seizures from tiny electrical impulses in the brain. Symptoms include weakness, muscle jerking and loss of consciousness. As such, diagnostic testing is critical for determining where seizure activity lies within the brain.
We use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computerized tomography (CT) scans to detect brain waves, discover how best to care for your particular neurological disorder, and to determine what type of seizure you may be experiencing.
Focal seizures
Focal seizures occur when there is seizure activity in one part of the brain, such as the:
- Frontal lobe, causing spontaneous movements
- Parietal lobe, causing strange sensations on one side of the body
- Temporal lobe, causing déjà vu or strange smells
Generalized seizures
Generalized seizures occur when activity is spread throughout the entire brain. Symptoms may include:
- Blackouts
- Muscle spasms
- Shaking or jerking for a period of time
- Stiffened muscles
In both cases, medicine is usually used to control seizures. The type of medicine varies based on your diagnosis. Our doctors can help you create a schedule and decide on a dosage that's right for you. Additionally, it may be determined that changing your diet or having surgery could be effective options for reducing seizures.
Epilepsy monitoring unit (EMU)
Mission Health welcomes referrals to our Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (EMU). Our EMU is located in the Neurosciences Unit at Mission Hospital and consists of six rooms equipped with continuous video EEG monitoring. It accepts patients 15 years old and older and is accredited by the National Association of Epilepsy Centers as a Level III Comprehensive Epilepsy Center.
For more information about epilepsy services or for referrals, please call our program coordinator at 828-999-0594 or the neurology outpatient clinic at (828) 213-9530.
Referrals may be faxed to (828) 213-3680, ATTN Epilepsy program coordination.
Additional patient resources
Healthbreak: Epilepsy treatment at Mission Health
Dr. Leslie Grayson, describes the specialized care Mission Health offers for patients with epilepsy. Epilepsy is a condition in which a person has recurring seizures.