| A neurological disorder that affects the nervous | | | | threshold. This person has no disabilities and leads a |
| system, epilepsy is also known as ‘the seizure | | | | normal life. Response to treatment is fairly good |
| disorder.' In fact, epilepsy is often diagnosed after a | | | | among such patients. |
| person has had 2-3 seizures that were not brought on | | | | Cryptogenic epilepsy: When a doctor rules out the |
| by any known medical condition. A seizure refers to | | | | previous two kinds of epilepsy, he or she may deduce |
| sudden high-voltage electrical activity in the brain, and it | | | | that the seizure is cryptogenic. So, it is surmised that |
| affects a person's feelings or actions for a short span | | | | underlying physical reasons that need to be |
| of time. Seizures can be so mild as to go unnoticed or | | | | investigated are causing the seizures. |
| be intensely disturbing in their ferocity. The cause of an | | | | Making a diagnosis can be tricky because there are no |
| epileptic seizure is not known. It may be the direct | | | | obvious symptoms in epilepsy. The person having the |
| result of a brain injury or a heredity factor. | | | | seizure can remember little of what happens during |
| Anyone can develop epilepsy; it occurs across all ages | | | | that time. Therefore, it is helpful to get information from |
| and all races of people. Epilepsy is quite common, | | | | someone who has seen the seizure happening. Blood |
| affecting 1 in every 120 adults in the US alone. | | | | tests, EEG, CT scans, and MRI scans provide |
| Whether a person will be epileptic or not depends on | | | | additional information. |
| his seizure threshold, (an individual's resistance level to | | | | New cases of epilepsy are most likely to occur in |
| seizures). A low seizure threshold means the person is | | | | children during the first year of their lives. This |
| more prone to having seizures for no reason. Such a | | | | tendency gradually declines until the child reaches 10 |
| person can easily develop a seizure when an | | | | years, after which it stabilizes. |
| apparently mild outside event triggers it. A person with | | | | The people who are most vulnerable to an epileptic |
| a high seizure threshold is likely to get a seizure due to | | | | attack include: |
| a serious outside factor, like a head injury. This means | | | | -Underweight babies |
| that almost ANYONE CAN HAVE A SEIZURE IF | | | | -Babies with abnormal brain structures |
| THE CIRCUMSTANCES ARE RIGHT. Often, a | | | | -People who have suffered a bleeding into the brain |
| seizure may not immediately follow an injury. It may | | | | -People who have had a serious brain injury |
| take place after 6-10 months, though there is no | | | | -People with cerebral palsy |
| known cause for this delay. | | | | -People with mental handicaps |
| Causes: | | | | -Children who have had febrile seizures |
| The causes of epilepsy can be classified into three | | | | -People with a family history of seizures |
| groups. Each group is characterized by a different | | | | Treatment: |
| type of seizure. | | | | Around 70% of the people with epilepsy are treated |
| Symptomatic epilepsy: In this kind of epilepsy, there is a | | | | with anti-epileptic drugs (AED's). AED's only prevent |
| known cause for the seizure. This may include a head | | | | seizures; they do not cure epilepsy. The type of AED |
| injury, a stroke, or a scar on the brain. Infections like | | | | and the dosage needed depends on the type of |
| meningitis can also lead to an epileptic seizure. A scan | | | | seizure. Some people experience a decrease in the |
| often reveals the cause and treatment is started | | | | tendency towards seizures as they age. Sadly, there |
| accordingly. | | | | are people who never achieve control over their |
| Idiopathic epilepsy: There is no known reason for this | | | | epilepsy in spite of receiving the most suitable |
| type of epileptic seizure, except a low seizure | | | | treatment. |