My Doctor Online The Permanente Medical Group
Are you having back pain with any of the following?
- Severe pain, weakness or tingling in your leg(s).
- Difficulty stopping urination or loss of control of bladder or bowels.
- Unexplained fever, nausea or vomiting.
- A history of cancer or unexplained weight loss.
We understand that you are experiencing one or more of the health issues that might be impacting your back pain.
We recommend that you discuss these health issues with your doctor before proceeding with this program.
Once you are cleared by your doctor to do this program, we hope it helps you find relief from your back pain.
Overview
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An electroencephalogram, or EEG, records the electrical activity generated by your brain cells. The procedure is not painful. Most of the time, we order EEGs to look for seizures, which create electrical abnormalities in the brain. We also use EEGs to assess other issues, including head injuries and changes in the brain that may be causing problems with cognitive function.
Ideally, we conduct an EEG during 3 different stages of consciousness: when you are awake, drowsy, and asleep.
How It Is Performed
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Preparing for the test
Deprive yourself of sleep the night before the test. If possible, sleep for only 4 or 5 hours. Lack of sleep increases the chance that seizure activity will show up during the test. You may fall asleep during the test, and some seizure patterns are much more visible during sleep. Don't consume anything containing caffeine within 6 hours of the test.
Before the test
We perform EEGs in our medical offices. Most tests take around 45 minutes.
We record the electrical activity of the brain with the help of small metallic discs called electrodes that we attach to your scalp.
Before the test, we measure your scalp to determine where to place the electrodes to ensure an accurate reading. We then ask you to lie down on an exam table. We will prepare you for the procedure in the following way:
- We apply gel or paste to your scalp where we will place the electrodes. This helps the electrodes stay in place.
- We attach the electrodes to your scalp.
- Wires from a recording machine are connected to the electrodes.
- We test the machine and make adjustments to ensure that all of the wires are operating properly.
Waking EEG
When we perform the EEG while you are awake, we will turn on the recording machine and check on you to make sure that your eyes are open and that you are fully awake. We will ask you to breathe rapidly for a minimum of 3 minutes. Hyperventilation causes predictable changes in the brain wave activity that we want to study as part of the test.
We will also place flashing lights in front of your face. The rate at which the lights flash varies from 3 to 34 times per second. We can record your brain's responses to these flashes, which helps us better understand its functioning.
Drowsy and sleeping EEG
We will ask you to get comfortable and try to fall asleep. Ideally, we will continue to record electrical activity as you become drowsy and fall asleep. We continue recording until you are in a deep phase of sleep.
After the test
When the EEG is finished, the technician will gently wake you up and remove all electrodes from the scalp. There will be some residual paste in the scalp afterwards, so you'll need to shampoo your hair when you get home.
Results
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It takes about a week to analyze and review the electrical activity recorded during the test. Once I have the results, I will contact you to discuss them and consider the next steps.
Your Care with Me
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If we decide that you need an EEG, someone from my office will call you to schedule a convenient appointment. Your procedure will be performed in the Neurology department by a technician who specializes in EEG procedures.
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If you need to talk with me after your visit or procedure, please call my office. You can also e-mail me with nonurgent issues from this website whenever it is convenient for you.
If you have urgent concerns or issues while my office is closed, or need general medical advice, you can call the Appointment and Advice line, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You will be connected with a nurse who can give you immediate advice.
If you are experiencing a serious problem or an emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest Emergency Room when the clinic is not open.
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Coordinating Your Care
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Having all of our Kaiser Permanente departments located together or nearby, including pharmacy, laboratory, radiology, and health education, makes getting your care easier for you.
Another major benefit is our comprehensive electronic medical record system, which allows all of the doctors and clinicians involved in your care to stay connected on your health status and collaborate with each other as appropriate.
When every member of the health care team is aware of all aspects of your condition, care is safer and more effective.
If you come to an office visit
- At the beginning of your visit, you will receive information about when you are due for your next test, screening, or immunization. We can discuss and schedule any preventive tests that you need.
- At the end of your visit, you may receive a document called the “After Visit Summary” that will summarize the issues we discussed during your visit. You can refer to it if you forget what we discussed, or if you just want to recheck your vital signs and weight. You can also view it online under Past Visits.
- To help you prepare for your visit, please see additional details under Office Visit.
If I prescribe medications
We will work together to monitor and assess how your medications are working and make adjustments over time. Prescriptions can be filled at any Kaiser Permanente pharmacy. Just let me know which pharmacy works best for you, and I will send the prescription electronically in advance of your arrival at the pharmacy.
If refills are needed in the future, you can:
- Order them online or by phone. Order future refills from my home page or by phone using the pharmacy refill number on your prescription label.
- Have them delivered to you by mail at no extra cost. Or you can pick up your medications at the pharmacy. If no refills remain when you place your order, the pharmacy will contact me regarding your prescription.
If lab testing or imaging is needed
For lab tests, I will use our electronic medical record system to send the requisition to the Kaiser Permanente laboratory of your choice. For imaging procedures, we will schedule an appointment with the Radiology department. When the results are ready, I will contact you with your results by letter, secure e-mail message, or phone. In addition, you can view most of your laboratory results online, along with any comments that I have attached to explain them.
If I refer you to another specialty colleague
If we decide together that your condition would also benefit from the care of other types of specialists, our staff will help arrange the appointment(s) with one or more of my specialty colleagues.
If surgery or a procedure is a treatment option
I will recommend that you review educational information and tools to help you prepare for your procedure or surgery. The information will often help you decide whether surgery is right for you. If you decide to have a surgery or procedure, the information will provide details about how to prepare and what to expect.
If we proceed with surgery, I will have my Surgery Scheduler contact you to determine a surgery date and provide you with additional instructions regarding your procedure. Once your surgery is scheduled, a medical colleague of mine will contact you to conduct a preoperative medical evaluation that will assure that you are properly prepared for your surgery.
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Convenient Resources for You
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As your specialist, I have a goal to provide high-quality care and to offer you choices that make your health care convenient. I recommend that you become familiar with the many resources we offer so that you can choose the services that work best for you.
My Doctor Online is available at any time that is most convenient for you. From my home page you can:
Manage your care securely
- View and compose secure e-mail messages.
- Manage your prescriptions.
- View your past visits and test results.
- View your preventive services to see whether you are due for a routine screening or updated immunization.
Learn more about your condition
- Read about causes, symptoms, treatments, and procedures.
- Find interactive health tools, videos, and podcasts to help you manage your condition.
- View programs to help you decide on or prepare for a surgery or procedure.
Stay healthy
- Locate health education classes and support groups offered at every medical center.
- Explore interactive programs, videos, and podcasts that focus on helping you stay healthy.
- View your Preventive Services to see whether you are due for a routine screening or updated immunization.
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If you have an emergency medical condition, call 911 or go to the nearest hospital. An emergency medical condition is any of the following: (1) a medical condition that manifests itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity (including severe pain) such that you could reasonably expect the absence of immediate medical attention to result in serious jeopardy to your health or body functions or organs; (2) active labor when there isn't enough time for safe transfer to a Plan hospital (or designated hospital) before delivery, or if transfer poses a threat to your (or your unborn child's) health and safety, or (3) a mental disorder that manifests itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity such that either you are an immediate danger to yourself or others, or you are not immediately able to provide for, or use, food, shelter, or clothing, due to the mental disorder.
This information is not intended to diagnose health problems or to take the place of specific medical advice or care you receive from your physician or other health care professional. If you have persistent health problems, or if you have additional questions, please consult with your doctor. If you have questions or need more information about your medication, please speak to your pharmacist. Kaiser Permanente does not endorse the medications or products mentioned. Any trade names listed are for easy identification only.