Epilepsy is a common chronic neurological disorder that is characterized by recurrent unprovoked seizures. These seizures are transient signs and/or symptoms due to abnormal, excessive or synchronous neuronal activity in the brain. About 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy at any one time.  Epilepsy is usually controlled, but not cured, with medication, although surgery may be considered in difficult cases. Not all epilepsy syndromes are lifelong – some forms are confined to particular stages of childhood.

What Causes Epilepsy?

This is a tricky question with no clear-cut answer. Often doctors can’t pinpoint exactly what causes epilepsy in a particular individual. But scientists do know that these are some of the things that can make a person more likely to develop epilepsy:

A brain injury, such as from a car crash or bike accident

An infection or illness that affected the developing brain of a fetus during pregnancy

Epilepsy Symptoms

The person may not appear to be breathing. The person is often breathing deeply after an episode.

The return to consciousness is gradual and should occur within a few moments.

Simple partial - person fully aware; abnormal twitching movement of part of the body, for example, head, eyes, hand or arm, or tingling sensation; person may sense odd smells, sounds or tastes

Complex partial - person experiences odd tastes or smells or déjà-vu; dream-like state follows; during an attack, lip smacking, grimacing or fidgeting may occur; can be followed by generalised seizure

How Is Epilepsy Treated?

Vagus nerve stimulation — This procedure involves minor surgery and is a relatively new treatment that helps prevent or lessen the severity of seizures. An electrical stimulator is placed beneath the skin of the upper chest. The stimulator, which emits electrical impulses, is connected to an electrode that is attached to a nerve in the neck through a small incision. A patient with a vagus nerve stimulator continues to take medication but sometimes can reduce the amount or number of medications.

Surgery

Surgery is an option for a small number of patients whose epilepsy cannot be controlled with medication. A good candidate for surgery has seizures that always begin in the same cerebral location, which can be removed (resected) without creating deficits. Neurosurgeons generally avoid performing surgery in areas of the brain responsible for speech, hearing, and other important functions.

What is the prognosis?

Most people with epilepsy lead outwardly normal lives. While epilepsy cannot currently be cured, for some people it does eventually go away. Most seizures do not cause brain damage. It is not uncommon for people with epilepsy, especially children, to develop behavioral and emotional problems, sometimes the consequence of embarrassment and frustration or bullying, teasing, or avoidance in school and other social setting. For many people with epilepsy, the risk of seizures restricts their independence (some states refuse drivers licenses to people with epilepsy) and recreational activities.

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