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What Is Epilepsy? | Epilepsy Foundation
Epilepsy is a brain disorder that causes recurring, unprovoked seizures. Your doctor may diagnose you with epilepsy if you have two unprovoked seizures or one unprovoked seizure with a high risk of more. Not all seizures are the result of epilepsy. Seizures may relate to a brain injury or a family trait, but often the cause is completely unknown.
Types of Seizures | Epilepsy Foundation
Focal seizures can start in one area or group of cells in one side of the brain. Focal onset aware seizures: When a person is awake and aware during a seizure, it’s called a focal aware seizure. This used to be called a simple partial seizure. Focal onset impaired awareness: When a person is confused or their awareness is affected in some way ...
Causes of Epilepsy - Epilepsy Foundation
Causes of epilepsy are different for each person, and some people have no identifiable cause. In others, doctors can trace epilepsy directly to genetics, brain trauma, autoimmune disorders, metabolic issues, or infectious diseases. Each cause has different signs, diagnoses, and treatment options.
Understanding Seizures | Is It Epilepsy? | Epilepsy Foundation
Seizures involve sudden, temporary, bursts of electrical activity in the brain that change or disrupt the way messages are sent between brain cells. These electrical bursts can cause involuntary changes in body movement or function, sensation, behavior or awareness. Every brain has the potential to seize. A person with epilepsy has a lower ...
Tools & Resources - Epilepsy Foundation
Epilepsy Pipeline Tracker. Part of our mission is to accelerate new therapies for people living with epilepsy and seizures. The Epilepsy Pipeline Tracker is a community-supported tool that provides updates on new drugs, supplements, devices, and tools. Explore the Epilepsy Pipeline Tracker.
2017 Revised Classification of Seizures | Epilepsy Foundation
Dec 18, 2016 · The International League Against Epilepsy has revised its classification of seizures. The changes make diagnosing and classifying seizures more accurate and easier. The new basic seizure classification is based on 3 key features: where seizures begin in the brain, level of awareness during a seizure, and other features of seizures.
Diagnosis - Epilepsy Foundation
Perform Brain Imaging. Brain scans refer to a CT scan, CAT scan, or MRI scan (magnetic resonance imaging). These tests look for changes in the structure of your brain, like a tumor or bleeding. Brain scans can often see changes in the way your brain developed that could lead to seizures. Learn about brain imaging for epilepsy.
How Serious Are Seizures? | Epilepsy Foundation
The overall risk of dying is 1.6 to 3 times higher in people with epilepsy than in the general population (IOM Report, 2013; Forsgren et al, 2005). The risk of dying among children with epilepsy may be a bit higher since most children without epilepsy have very low risks. People whose epilepsy is caused by things like a stroke or a brain tumor ...
Epilepsy Treatment - Epilepsy Foundation
Although there is no known cure for epilepsy, developments in treatment have made it possible for most people to achieve seizure control. The first treatment step is usually to find the right medicine or Anti-Epileptic Drug (AED). If seizures continue to happen, other treatments like devices, dietary therapies, or surgery can help control seizures.
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