Understanding Epilepsy

Epilepsy is a broad term that encompasses a variety of brain disorders that cause seizures. It is one of the most common brain conditions and can affect people of any age.

Signs & Symptoms

The primary symptom of epilepsy is seizures. A seizure is a brief change in brain activity. It can last anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes.

Someone may be diagnosed with epilepsy if they have two or more seizures unrelated to another cause, such as a fever or low blood sugar.

Seizures can look different in different people. Signs may include:

• Confusion
• Staring
• Rapid blinking
• Twitching or shaking
• Falling to the ground
• Loss of consciousness
• Body stiffening

Causes

While the cause of epilepsy is unknown for many people, certain conditions impact the brain and may lead to the development of epilepsy:

• Brain tumor
• Traumatic brain injury
• Infection in the brain from a virus, bacteria, or parasite
• Stroke
• Oxygen deprivation of the brain
• Certain genetic disorders
• Certain neurological diseases

Treatment

If left untreated, recurring seizures impact quality of life, increase the risk of injury, and may shorten life expectancy.

Common treatments include:

• Medicine: Anti-seizure medication works by controlling improper brain signals.
• Surgery: This can remove the affected area if seizure activity occurs in only one part of the brain.
• Diet: A specialized ketogenic diet may be effective for some types of epilepsy, especially in children.
• Nerve stimulation: An implanted device stimulates the vagus nerve to reduce seizures.

Self-Care

Successful epilepsy treatment takes the combined efforts of healthcare professionals and the person with epilepsy. Many self-care practices aid in reducing seizure triggers and keeping the body healthy: