Our Approach to Solving Neurological Problems
Our board-certified neurologists have the experience and insight needed to get to the root of complex conditions and provide proper diagnosis and treatment. Because the nervous system is deeply integrated with the rest of the body, our neurologists work closely with other specialists, such as:
The neurologists at St. Elizabeth Physicians treat a wide range of conditions, including:
Schedule an Appointment
Our trained specialists are here to help, contact us today.
Call (859) 957-0052.
Epilepsy Monitoring Unit at
St. Elizabeth Edgewood
St. Elizabeth Edgewood
St. Elizabeth offers advanced diagnosis and treatment for difficult to diagnose seizures or epilepsy. Nearly four percent of the population will experience the challenges of epilepsy in their lifetime.
The Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (EMU) at St. Elizabeth Edgewood is dedicated to help diagnose people with seizures and epilepsy so they can get more effective treatment and manage their complex symptoms in a safe environment.
In the EMU, you are in a private room with continuous 24/7 electroencephalogram (EEG) and electrocardiogram (EKG) monitoring technology to record the electrical activity in your brain and heart. Continuously tracking brain activity allows us to properly diagnose your seizures by pinpointing what part of the brain is triggering the seizure. It also allows our doctors to confirm the symptoms are seizures. Some patients are misdiagnosed with seizures when they are experiencing symptoms from heart rhythm irregularities, anxiety, or conversion disorder.
What is Epilepsy?
Epilepsy is a condition involving the brain that makes it likely for people to have recurrent, unprovoked seizures. It is a common disorder of the nervous system and affects people of all ages, races, and ethnic backgrounds. Almost 2.2 million Americans live with epilepsy.
The type of epileptic seizure you are having depends on which part of the brain is affected and what happens during the seizure. Two categories of epileptic seizures are generalized seizures and partial (focal) seizures.
What is a seizure?
More than 3.5 million people in the U.S. suffer from seizures each year. A seizure happens when an area of your brain receives a burst of abnormal electrical activity that temporarily interrupts normal electrical brain function. Symptoms of seizures vary, but typically seizures are consistent and predictable for each person.
Symptoms may include:
- Abdominal discomfort
- Abnormal sensations such as numbness or tingling
- Changes in muscle tone, muscle twitches or jerking movements
- Convulsions
- Loss of awareness, staring
- Mental confusion
- Speech impairment
- Unsteadiness
- Visual hallucinations
Preparing for Your Stay
The length of your stay at the EMU depends on the time needed to monitor your seizure activity. Although this varies among patients, the average length of stay is usually three days. Since spending three days on the monitoring unit can be boring, feel free to bring any books, cards, board games, or something to help fill the time. Each room is equipped with a telephone and television.
If you prefer, you can bring items such as a toothbrush, toothpaste, and hand cream. Do not bring any valuables with you. Remember that this is a non-smoking campus, but we can prescribe a nicotine replacement product if medically needed.
Interested in Learning More?
The end goal is to confirm if what you are experiencing are seizures, the type of seizures you may be having. This will allow your doctor to properly diagnose epilepsy and adjust medications to treat the symptoms of epilepsy better and to improve your quality of life.
To learn more about the Epilepsy Monitoring Unit at St. Elizabeth Edgewood, call (859) 301-6098.
