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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.

Epileptologists in Downtown Richmond, Virginia

We offer compassionate care for epilepsy and seizure disorders.

The epilepsy doctors at Retreat Doctors’ Hospital, a campus of Henrico Doctors’ Hospital, offer innovative treatments for epilepsy that lead to better outcomes. At our hospital, you are more than just a patient. You are family.

Related specialties

Learn more about our related specialties.

Signs and symptoms of seizures

It can be hard to know you are about to have or are having a seizure, but knowing the signs and symptoms can help prepare you and your family. These include:

  • Aura or unusual sensation
  • Clenching teeth or biting tongue
  • Drooling or frothing at the mouth
  • Falling suddenly
  • Jerking of arms and legs
  • Losing consciousness, then confusion
  • Loss of bodily functions
  • Staring spells
  • Stiffening of the body
  • Strange taste in the mouth
  • Sudden, rapid eye movements
  • Trouble with or stopping breathing
  • Uncontrollable muscle spasms

Our epilepsy and seizure care

Our goal is to improve your quality of life with advanced monitoring and treatment options.

Epilepsy care

Epilepsy is a neurological disorder characterized by abnormal brain activity, resulting in seizures or the onset of unusual sensations, behaviors and emotions. We have an epilepsy monitoring unit (EMU), where our neurology teams carefully monitor patients experiencing or recovering from seizures. Our epilepsy doctors and specialists also offer diagnostic and treatment services, including:

  • Neuroradiology
  • Neurodiagnostics
  • Neuropsychology
Epilepsy monitoring

In our EMU, we use technology such as video and electroencephalogram (EEG) monitoring to record brain activity and observe behavioral changes to determine the best treatment plan. Epilepsy monitoring is often useful if your epilepsy is severe, not responding to treatment or has unknown causes.

In our four-bed EMU, our team of experts is dedicated to individualized patient care. We focus on increasing the quality of life for patients experiencing seizures by developing curative treatment plans to eliminate them. The EMU performs continuous EEG-video monitoring, allowing neurologists to record seizures to characterize, classify and localize them in efforts to determine the best treatment options.

Julia's Story - Retreat Doctors' Hospital

Julia Johnson shares her recovery story and how Retreat Doctors' Hospital's Epilepsy Monitoring Unit helped her get back to a normal life again.

Our Epilepsy Locations

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