What is Epilepsy?
People who have epilepsy are more likely to experience recurrent unprovoked seizures. It is a neurological disorder affecting the brain.
People of various ages, races, and ethnic backgrounds are affected by this disorder of the neurological system, which is one of the most prevalent. Nearly 3 million Americans have epilepsy, and 200,000 more in the country are diagnosed with it each year, according to the CDC.
What is a Seizure?
The brain is the control and regulation center for all voluntary and involuntary responses in the body. It is made up of nerve cells that generally communicate with one another via electrical activity.
When the part(s) of the brain gets a burst of aberrant electrical signals, normal electrical brain activity is briefly disrupted.
Symptoms
Seizures can disrupt any process that your brain coordinates since epilepsy is caused by unusual brain activity. Seizure symptoms and indicators may include:
The symptoms differ according to the type of seizure. A person with epilepsy will often experience the same sort of seizure each time, therefore the symptoms will be identical from episode to episode.
When to see a Neurologist?
Seek emergency medical attention if any of the following events occur:
Seek medical attention if you are having your first seizure.
Causes
In nearly half of those who suffer from epilepsy, there is no known etiology. In the other half, the condition might be attributed to a number of variables, including:
Genetic predisposition. Some varieties of this disease, which are classified based on the type of seizure or the area of the brain afflicted, run in families. In these circumstances, there is most certainly a hereditary component.
Some varieties of epilepsy have been connected to specific genes by researchers, however for most people, genes represent only part of the etiology. Certain genes may make a person more susceptible to environmental factors that cause seizures.