Things You Need to Bbe Aware About Your Child's Imminent EEG Test

An electroencephalogram (EEG) is a test that checks and records the electrical activity of your brain. Electrodes camera, a sort of special sensors are attached to the head and are hooked by wires connecting the computer. The computer then records the electrical activity of the brain on the paper or screen as wavy lines. Certain Health issues, such as seizures, can be detected by the changes in the normal pattern of brain's electrical functioning.

Why It EEG Done?

An electroencephalogram (EEG) is done to:

Diagnose epilepsy and detect what sorts of seizures are occurring. This test is the most essential and useful test in confirming epilepsy diagnosis.Have a check on the activity of brain while a person is on anesthesia in the course of brain surgery.Study sleep disorders, like narcolepsyFind out whether the person who is in coma is brain dead.Detect the problems with dementia or loss of consciousnessHelp in finding out the possibility of a one's recovery after a change in consciousness.Assists in diagnosing if a person has any physical issues (complications in the brain, nervous system, or spinal cord) or mental health issuesTo manage sleep disorders, stroke or memory impairment

How to Prepare For an EEG Test?

Before the EEG, make sure to discus with your physician, if you are taking any kind of medications. Your doctor may advice you to stop certain medicines before the test as some medicines affect the usual electrical activity of the brain.Wash your hair the night prior the test. Do not use any sort of oils, sprays, or cream afterward.Do not drink or eat the foods that have caffeine (such as tea, coffee, chocolate, and cola) for 12 hours before the EEG test.

What Happens During the EEG Test?

During this test, you lie on the examine table while about 22 electrodes are attached to your scalp. Initially you would be asked to lie and relax with your eye open, then with them closed. Then, you may be asked to take a deep breathe or take breathes rapidly or to stare at a flashing light. These activities cause changes in to wavy patterns of brain.

The EEG test records the electrical functioning of the brain. However the brain activity depends upon various aspects- if the person in awake or in other stages of sleep, what they are doing, whether their eyes are open or not. If you are prone to seizures, you may experience one during this test.

What happens after an EEG test?

After the completion of test, the electrodes are removed and you are allowed to get up. Later on, the neurologist analyzes the result. However, if everything is normal in the brain's electrical functioning the general pattern of "ups and downs" charted by the EEG report should be regular. If excited, the report pattern will show usual variation, however, if any departure from the usual patter can indicate abnormalities.

Matt Simpson is a nutritionist and an avid blogger too. He likes to keep a tab on the new researches and studies on promoting healthier lifestyle all over the world. Matt then makes it a point to share the important health tips with his readers and contribute his little bit to make Planet Earth a better place to live.