What is an Epileptic Seizure? 

An Epileptic Seizure 

Seizures are defined as  sudden changes  in the electrical functioning  of the brain, resulting  in altered behaviors. These usually happen  in the cortex,  or outside rim  of the brain. An epileptic seizure has a definite beginning, middle,  and end. It is thought to  be the result  of a brain injury, infection, heredity,  or just idiopathic,  or with no known cause. If you have one seizure, you have  a fifty percent chance  of having  a second one  in the next six months. If you have  a second seizure,  the likelihood  of return goes up  to 80%. Epilepsy is said to be  the result of a person having two  or more  of these seizures.

Who Gets Epilepsy 

Epilepsy affects all age groups. It tends  to affect men more than women. In children,  the cause is generally unknown  or genetic,  and the risk is highest  in the first year  of life, declining until the age  of ten. People aged 10-55 will most likely develop epileptic seizures from brain injuries or infections (trauma, tumors, encephalitis/meningitis.) As people approach 55+ years,  the risk for  epilepsy again increases because  of strokes, brain tumors,  or Alzheimer's disease (all sources  of injury to  the brain.) At every stage  in life, 50% of epileptic seizures  are of unknown origin. 

Some Epileptic Seizure Symptoms 

Early Symptoms (auras or warnings) 

• unusual smell, sound, taste, or visual perception 
• fear/panic 
• dizziness, headache, lightheadedness, nausea, numbness 
• sometimes  no warnings 

• confusion, loss  of consciousness, spaceyness 
• visual, smelling,and/or hearing difficulties 
• twitching, shaking, stiffening, tongue biting, incontinence, falling, drooling, eyelid fluttering 

• confusion, memory loss 
• writing difficulties 
• depression, fear, frustration/shame 
• nausea, headache, pain, thirst, weakness 
• injuries 
• exhaustion/sleeping