epilepsy/ seizures

What are epilepsy and seizures?

Epilepsy is a chronic brain disorder in which groups of nerve cells, or neurons, in the brain sometimes send the wrong signals and cause seizures. Neurons normally generate electrical and chemical signals that act on other neurons, organs, and muscles to produce human thoughts, feelings, and actions.

During a seizure, many neurons send signals at the same time, much faster than normal. This surge of excessive electrical activity may cause involuntary movements, sensations, emotions, and/or behaviors. The disturbance of normal nerve cell activity may cause a loss of awareness. Some people recover immediately after a seizure, while others may take minutes to hours to feel like themselves again. During this time, they may feel tired, sleepy, weak, or confused.

Epilepsy (sometimes referred to as a seizure disorder) can have many different causes and seizure types. Epilepsy varies in severity and impact from person to person and can be accompanied by a range of co-existing conditions. Epilepsy is sometimes called “the epilepsies” because of the diversity of types and causes. Some people may have convulsions (muscles contract repeatedly) and lose consciousness. Others may simply stop what they are doing, have a brief lapse of awareness, and stare into space for a short period. Some people have seizures very infrequently, while other people may experience hundreds of seizures each day.

While any seizure is cause for concern, having a seizure does not by itself mean a person has epilepsy. First seizures, febrile seizures, nonepileptic events, and eclampsia (a life-threatening condition that can occur during pregnancy) are examples of conditions involving seizures that may not be associated with epilepsy. Regardless of the type of seizure, it’s important to inform your doctor when you have a seizure.

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