What is epilepsy?

Epilepsy is a brain disorder that causes repeated seizures. A seizure is a sudden, brief change in behavior or mental function caused by an electrical disturbance in the brain. People who have two or more unprovoked seizures are considered to have epilepsy.

Seizures can be unpredictable and sometimes frightening, but many people with epilepsy lead full and active lives.

Epilepsy is not usually progressive, and most people with epilepsy can eventually lead normal lives.

What does epilepsy feel like?

Seizures can be terrifying for both the person having them and those around them. During a seizure, the person’s body stiffens and their eyes may roll back into their head. They may also lose consciousness or become confused. The length of time a seizure lasts varies from person to person, but most last less than two minutes.

While some people may have only one seizure in their life, others may have several each month or even several hundred per day. If you’re concerned about someone having a seizure or if you think they might have epilepsy, contact emergency services immediately so they can get the right treatment right away.

Who does epilepsy affect?

The good news is that most people who have epilepsy can live seizure-free and lead normal lives.

People of all ages can be affected by epilepsy but it is most common in childhood. The vast majority (85%) of people with epilepsy will have their first seizure before the age of 20 years.

Epilepsy affects both genders equally and there are no racial or ethnic differences.

Epilepsy affects people of all races, ethnicities and social backgrounds. There are many different types of epilepsy, but they all involve recurrent seizures (fits) which can be mild or severe.

Epilepsy can happen to anyone. It affects people of all ages, races and ethnicities. Women and children are more likely than men to develop epilepsy.

People with epilepsy have an increased risk of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP). The cause isn’t completely understood, but research has shown that SUDEP is more likely to happen during sleep, especially after several seizures in one night.

Epilepsy is a neurological condition that affects the brain. It causes unpredictable seizures, which can be dramatic and life-threatening.

Epilepsy is a common disorder that affects around 50 million people worldwide. It usually starts in childhood or adolescence but can begin at any age.

About one in every hundred people has epilepsy, with about one third of cases starting in childhood. Boys are more likely to have it than girls, and it’s more common among certain ethnic groups, such as Afro-Caribbean and South Asian communities.

Epilepsy doesn’t affect intelligence or personality; it only affects how the brain functions during an epileptic seizure.

How common is epilepsy?

Epilepsy is a common neurological condition that affects approximately 1 in 26 people. It is more common in children and less common in older adults.

Epilepsy is more prevalent than many other conditions, including diabetes, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy and autism spectrum disorder.

The World Health Organization states that the number of people with epilepsy worldwide could be as high as 50 million.

A recent large study from the UK estimated that around 1% of children aged 5-16 years have epilepsy compared to 0.5% for adults aged 16-64 years and 0.4% for people aged over 65 years. This means that there are more than 1 million people affected by epilepsy in England alone and around 3 million in the UK overall.

Epilepsy is rare before the age of 2 years and increases steadily until age 7 when 10% of children are affected. The incidence then falls until adulthood when it rises again to around 2%.

What happens in your brain when you have epilepsy?

Epilepsy is caused by abnormal brain activity. The brain controls all the functions of the body. It is made up of billions of nerve cells (neurons) linked together by electrochemical signals called synapses. These signals pass from one neuron to another by way of chemical messengers called neurotransmitters. The electrochemical signals in the brain control our thoughts and movements, as well as our senses, emotions and memories. They also control automatic processes such as breathing, heartbeat and digestion.

The main function of neurons is to transmit information from one part of the body to another by means of electrochemical signals or messages across synapses between nerve cells (neurons). These signals are controlled by chemicals called neurotransmitters which are released at synapses and travel across an area called a synaptic cleft to attach themselves onto receptors on other nerve cells where they initiate an electrical signal that travels down the length of that neuron’s axon.

What are the types of epilepsies and their seizure symptoms?

There are several types of epilepsies. Some types have unusual features, such as the presence of specific symptoms (such as headaches), or a tendency to occur at particular ages or in association with other illnesses.

Epilepsy syndromes include:

Absence seizures (also called petit mal seizures). These happen when there is a brief interruption in consciousness, during which you may look vacant or stare into space for up to 30 seconds. The person will then return to normal without any loss of awareness.

Myoclonic seizures. These happen when sudden muscle jerks occur, often on both sides of the body at the same time. These often cause falls and injuries because the person loses balance when they occur.

Tonic-clonic seizures (also called grand mal seizures). These happen when there is a sudden loss of consciousness followed by stiffening of the muscles (tonic phase) and jerking movements that go on for several minutes (clonic phase). They usually end with a period of confusion and tiredness afterwards

Atonic seizures (also called drop attacks). These happen when your muscles become floppy and weak for a short time with no warning signs before or after this happens.

Focal onset seizures are the most common type of seizure. Focal onset seizures can occur on one side of the brain or both sides.

Focal onset seizures can be further classified into simple, complex and secondarily generalized.

Simple focal onset seizures: These seizures begin as a single wave of abnormal electrical activity in a specific area of the brain, then stop after a few seconds or minutes. No other symptoms occur during simple focal onset seizures, although some people may experience muscle twitching or physical jerking during their seizure.

Complex focal onset seizures: These seizures begin as simple focal onset seizures but spread rapidly throughout the brain as they evolve into secondarily generalized tonic-clonic (formerly called grand mal) status epilepticus. Complex focal onset seizures begin with simple focal onset and then spread through the entire brain. You will lose consciousness during this type of seizure and may experience muscle jerking or physical jerking of your arms and legs. Your arms or legs may also become stiff (tonic phase). Then your muscles will relax again (clonic phase).

Generalized onset seizures are the most common form of epilepsy. They begin in one or both sides of the brain, often spreading to other parts of the brain and body. The seizure may involve muscle contractions, but not necessarily.

A generalized seizure can be classified as either partial or primary generalized. A partial seizure affects just one area of the brain, but it can spread to other areas. A primary generalized seizure is a generalized tonic-clonic (grand mal) seizure.

What are seizure triggers?

The following are some of the most common seizure triggers. If you have seizures, it can help to know if any of these things might trigger a seizure for you.

Alcohol. Drinking alcohol may make you more likely to have a seizure. It also makes seizures worse when they do occur. Drinking too much alcohol can trigger a blackout, which is a type of seizure that only affects the part of the brain that controls memory.

Caffeine. Caffeine is a stimulant that can trigger seizures in some people with epilepsy. The amount of caffeine that causes a reaction varies from person to person. It’s best not to drink caffeinated beverages if you have epilepsy or suspect that caffeine might cause your seizures.

Any other drug or medication. Taking any drug or medication, including prescription medicines (such as antidepressants), over-the-counter drugs (such as cold medicine), illegal drugs and dietary supplements can make you more likely to have a seizure or make existing seizures worse. Make sure all your doctors know about all medications you’re taking, including over-the-counter medications and dietary supplements like vitamins and minerals.

How can I figure out my seizure triggers?

There are many different kinds of seizure triggers, and it can be hard to figure out the cause of your seizures.

The best way to find out your exact triggers is to keep a seizure diary. This is a record of all the things you do before, during and after a seizure. It can help you figure out what may set off a seizure or make it worse, so you can avoid them in the future.

You should start keeping a seizure diary if:

• You’ve had more than one type of seizure and don’t know if there is one common cause for all of them.
• You have very frequent seizures that happen at night, even though nothing seems to have happened just before they started.
• You’ve had seizures that don’t seem related to anything in particular and you think might have been caused by something in your environment (e.g., alcohol withdrawal).

What are the signs and symptoms of epileptic seizures?

Some people will have a single seizure, but many will have repeated seizures over time.

The most common symptom is sudden loss of consciousness and convulsions.

Other symptoms include:

• Unconsciousness (blackout)
• Convulsions (jerking or twitching of muscles)
• Loss of bladder control (incontinence)
• Uncontrollable movements such as chewing, lip smacking and eye blinking

What causes epilepsy?

The cause of epilepsy varies widely from person to person. Some people may have a genetic predisposition to develop epilepsy, while others develop it after experiencing head trauma or stroke, for example. Other possible causes include infectious diseases like meningitis, tumors and injuries from accidents or childbirth complications like jaundice during pregnancy.

How to treat epilepsy?

The main goal of treatment is to control seizures, so that you can enjoy a good quality of life.

A treatment plan should be tailored to suit your individual needs and circumstances. The choice of treatment will depend on:

• What type of epilepsy you have?
• The type of seizures you have?
• How often they happen?
• How severe they are?

Are there epilepsy clinical trials?

An epilepsy clinical trials is a research study that aims to find better treatments for people with seizures and other related conditions. These studies take place at medical centers across the country and usually involve participants who have been diagnosed with epilepsy or another neurological condition. Some research studies also include people who don’t have a history of seizures but are considered at risk for developing them in the future due to their genetic makeup. While most people think of medical trials as being relatively new, this type of work has been going on since ancient times when doctors began trying to treat patients with various remedies they believed would help them heal their ailments.