What is epilepsy?
Epilepsy is a neurological disorder that causes recurrent seizures in the person suffering. These seizures appear when groups of nerve cells (neurons) in the brain send out erroneous signals. This can cause violent muscle spasms or even a loss of consciousness.
What are the symptoms of epilepsy?
The symptoms of epilepsy vary from one person to another. They emphasize the episodes of confusion, the loss of awareness and violent tremors. Some people have a strange sensation before suffering a seizure, which can be for example be a tingling sensation or emotional changes.
There are different categories of seizures which include:
- Focal seizures – caused by abnormal activity in one area of the brain. These can happen either without loss of consciousness (changes in smell and taste with involuntary jerking of a body part) or with impaired awareness (staring into space, and not responding normally).
- Generalised seizures – caused by abnormal activity in the whole brain, of which there are six types (absence seizures, tonic seizures, atonic seizures, clonic seizures, myoclonic seizures, tonic-clonic seizures).
What causes epilepsy?
There are multiple causes of epilepsy; from diseases, brain injuries and abnormal brain development. However, in many cases the cause that produces it is unknown.
Among the most common causes are:
- traumatic brain injury
- dementia
- brain tumour
- abnormal blood vessels in the brain
- infections
- stroke
Can epilepsy be prevented?
There is no form of prevention for epilepsy, however, eating a proper diet, sleeping the recommended amount of hours and avoiding drugs and alcohol can decrease the likelihood of triggering seizures in people with epilepsy.
What is the treatment for epilepsy?
The treatment for epilepsy consists of anti-seizure medication, lifestyle changes (e.g. adopting the ketogenic diet has shown some success in reducing seizures) and surgery. Surgery involves removing part of the brain causing the seizures, however, this is not always possible. Additional therapies can include vagus nerve stimulation and deep brain stimulation. A neurologist works to treat epilepsy.
11-13-2012 10-13-2023Epilepsy
Dr Dougall McCorry - Neurology
Created on: 11-13-2012
Updated on: 10-13-2023
Edited by: Aoife Maguire
What is epilepsy?
Epilepsy is a neurological disorder that causes recurrent seizures in the person suffering. These seizures appear when groups of nerve cells (neurons) in the brain send out erroneous signals. This can cause violent muscle spasms or even a loss of consciousness.
What are the symptoms of epilepsy?
The symptoms of epilepsy vary from one person to another. They emphasize the episodes of confusion, the loss of awareness and violent tremors. Some people have a strange sensation before suffering a seizure, which can be for example be a tingling sensation or emotional changes.
There are different categories of seizures which include:
- Focal seizures – caused by abnormal activity in one area of the brain. These can happen either without loss of consciousness (changes in smell and taste with involuntary jerking of a body part) or with impaired awareness (staring into space, and not responding normally).
- Generalised seizures – caused by abnormal activity in the whole brain, of which there are six types (absence seizures, tonic seizures, atonic seizures, clonic seizures, myoclonic seizures, tonic-clonic seizures).
What causes epilepsy?
There are multiple causes of epilepsy; from diseases, brain injuries and abnormal brain development. However, in many cases the cause that produces it is unknown.
Among the most common causes are:
- traumatic brain injury
- dementia
- brain tumour
- abnormal blood vessels in the brain
- infections
- stroke
Can epilepsy be prevented?
There is no form of prevention for epilepsy, however, eating a proper diet, sleeping the recommended amount of hours and avoiding drugs and alcohol can decrease the likelihood of triggering seizures in people with epilepsy.
What is the treatment for epilepsy?
The treatment for epilepsy consists of anti-seizure medication, lifestyle changes (e.g. adopting the ketogenic diet has shown some success in reducing seizures) and surgery. Surgery involves removing part of the brain causing the seizures, however, this is not always possible. Additional therapies can include vagus nerve stimulation and deep brain stimulation. A neurologist works to treat epilepsy.
What causes epilepsy and do seizures shorten a person’s life?
By Dr Dora Lozsadi
2024-12-15
Epilepsy is a neurological disease, characterised by attacks or seizures that recur in episodes over time. Doctor Dora Lozsadi talks about the underlying brain abnormality that causes epilepsy and how epilepsy can reduce a person's life expectancy. See more
What are seizures and what is epilepsy?
By Professor Matthew Walker
2024-12-14
Professor Matthew Walker is a leading neurologist and expert in treating seizures and epilepsy, but what are the differences between these two? Here he explains. See more
Epilepsy (Part 2): Treatment
By Dr Katia Cikurel
2024-12-14
Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder, characterised by the onset of recurrent seizures (abnormal electrical activity in the brain), that affects 50 million people of all ages worldwide. Following on from the first part on epileptic seizures and the diagnosis of epilepsy, renowned consultant neurologist Dr Katia Cikurel, offers a comprehensive insight into the medical concerns for women who are diagnosed and the most common treatments available. See more
Can individuals with epilepsy participate in sports?
By Professor Matthias Koepp
2024-12-14
In his latest online article, Professor Matthias Koepp explores the inclusion of individuals with epilepsy in sports, discussing necessary precautions and guidelines. It touches on restrictions in specific sports, safety measures, in particular for water activities, and the impact of sports on epilepsy management. See more
Experts in Epilepsy
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Professor Matthew Walker
NeurologyExpert in:
- Epilepsy
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- Restless legs syndrome
- Hypersomnia
- Narcolepsy
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Mr Richard Selway
NeurosurgeryExpert in:
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- Epilepsy surgery
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- Trigeminal neuralgia
- Brain tumour
- Parkinson's disease
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Dr Dougall McCorry
NeurologyExpert in:
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- Epilepsy
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- Medicolegal
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Dr Anke Hensiek
NeurologyExpert in:
- Neurological disorders
- Headache
- Multiple sclerosis
- Epilepsy
- Parkinson's disease
- Memory disorder
-
Dr Katia Cikurel
NeurologyExpert in:
- Neuro-oncology
- Brain tumour
- Epilepsy
- Headache
- Migraine
- Neurological disorders
- See all
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