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What a neurologist wants you to know about epilepsy

Seizures aren't always obvious—and we often don't know what causes them.

Updated on August 6, 2024

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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 3.4 million Americans have a seizure disorder, also known as epilepsy. This number includes both adults and children, as the disorder can affect patients very early in life.

Even if you have firsthand experience with epilepsy, you may still have questions about seizures, how the condition isShow More

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What epilepsy really is

Epilepsy is the fourth most common neurological condition in the United States after migraine, stroke, and Alzheimer’s disease. The term includes a wide range of seizure disorders that can affect people at different ages. Seizures happen when the electrical activity in your brain is disrupted.Show More

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There are three main types of seizures

Experts classify seizures into three main types—focal (or partial) onset, generalized onset, or unknown-onset. Their symptoms and effects on the brain and body may differ.

During a focal seizure, one area of the brain is affected. There are two different kinds:

  • Aware: the person remains awake and
  • Show More
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We don't always know what causes it

Several different medical conditions can cause epilepsy, including a prior stroke, brain tumor, or infection, or loss of oxygen to the brain. Epilepsy may also result from a head injury, a genetic disorder, or other neurological disease. In rare cases, epilepsy may be caused by over-activation ofShow More

radiology, doctor, patient, nurse, brain scan, ct scan
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Seizures don't necessarily mean you have epilepsy

Not all seizures are associated with epilepsy. For example, having a high fever or low blood sugar can trigger a one-off seizure event, as can stress or lack of sleep in people who are predisposed to having seizures. How is an epilepsy diagnosis made?

“It can be challenging to diagnose epilepsy,"Show More

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In most cases, medication works

“The mainstay of treatment for epilepsy is medications,” says Dresser. "Roughly 70 percent of patients can have their seizures completely controlled with medicine."

In cases where medications can't control seizures, patients may have surgery to remove the part of the brain where the seizuresShow More

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You can help a person who is having a seizure

If you witness someone having a seizure, follow these steps:

  • If you know that this is the first time the person has had a seizure, call 911, or if the person quickly regains consciousness, take them to the emergency room right away.
  • If the person is having a tonic-clonic (grand mal) seizure, in
  • Show More
Slideshow sources open slideshow sources

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Epilepsy Fast Facts. Page last reviewed September 30, 2020.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Seizure First Aid. Page last reviewed January 2, 2022.
England MJ, Liverman CT, Schultz AM, Strawbridge LM. Summary: a reprint from epilepsy across the spectrum: promoting health and understanding. Epilepsy Curr. 2012;12(6):245-253.
Epilepsy Foundation. Types of Seizures. Accessed March 25, 2022.
Whelan CD, Altmann A, Botía JA, et al. Structural brain abnormalities in the common epilepsies assessed in a worldwide ENIGMA study. Brain. 2018;141(2):391-408.
Johns Hopkins Medicine. Tonic-Clonic (Grand Mal) Seizures.

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