Epilepsy is a disorder of the brain. When a person has epilepsy every so often there are sudden, brief changes in how the brain cells function.

Instead of firing normally, on and off, they fire large bursts of energy that affect part or all of the brain.

The result is a seizure. Depending on where and how much of the brain is affected, the seizure can alter awareness, change movements or produce strange sensations.

Seizures are generally brief, lasting only a couple of minutes or even, in some cases, a few seconds.

Because seizures are a symptom of epilepsy, the condition is sometimes called a seizure disorder.

Epilepsy is usually not the type of condition that becomes worse over time, nor is it a mental illness. It is a condition produced by a temporary malfunction of the brain.

Once the seizure is over, brain function returns to normal.

Recovery time following a seizure varies. Some people recover quickly. Others find headaches, muscle aches and fatigue linger for some time afterwards.

Types of Seizures

There are two large groups of seizures – partial seizures that affect only part of the brain, and generalized seizures that affect the whole brain.

Partial seizures are also divided into groups.

• Simple partial seizures produce changes in how a person moves or feels. They can make legs shake, or alter speech or create an odd feeling on skin. Things may look smaller or larger than they really are during a simple partial seizure. Or there may be noises or flashes of light that are not really there. Some people see images of the past. This type of seizure usually produces the same set of feelings or movements each time it happens.

What happens during a seizure depends on what part of the brain is being affected by it.

• Complex partial seizures make people black out for a few minutes. During that time, they may stare, or pick at their clothes, make chewing movements with their mouth, or twitch their face. Some people wander during this type of seizure. They may pick things up and put them down, aimlessly. They may mumble or, in some cases, shout. People may undress during a seizure, all the time completely unaware of what they are doing.

People cannot respond during seizure, or understand what is being said to them, or look out for their own safety.

The reason for unusual behavior during a seizure is that the part of the brain which controls such activities is being affected by bursts of electrical energy.

Generalized seizures happen when the whole brain is swamped by electrical energy. They may be:

• Massive muscle jerks (myoclonic seizures)
  
• Muscle spasms in babies (infantile spasms)
  
• Sudden falls for no reason (drop attacks)
  
• Short staring spells (absence, also called petit mal)
  
• Convulsions (generalized tonic clonic seizures, also called grand mal)

Causes

In more than seven out of every 10 cases of epilepsy, no cause can be found. Among known causes are: head injuries, strokes, brain tumors, genetic factors, poisoning, problems in brain development before birth or serious illness that affects the brain, like encephalitis or meningitis.

Among older people, epilepsy is most often caused by stroke, cardiovascular disease, brain tumors or Alzheimer’s disease.

Any Time of Life

People of all ages develop epilepsy, but it’s most likely to begin in childhood or adults over age 65.

Several types of epilepsy begin in early childhood. Some begin at adolescence. Some are temporary conditions that the child will out grow. Others cause mixed seizures, and are likely to continue despite treatment. Some children grow out of epilepsy after becoming free of seizures for a couple of years.

Both men and women develop epilepsy in about the same numbers (approximately one in every 100, or 2.7 million Americans).

However, epilepsy for women has some additional challenges. Hormone levels that rise and fall during a woman’s monthly cycle often affect seizures. Increased levels of estrogen, the female hormone, increases seizure frequency in many women. Hormone-based birth control (the pill, or Norplant) may be affected by epilepsy meds and their dosage may need to be adjusted in order to work properly.

Some women with epilepsy have a more difficult time becoming pregnant, and there is an increased risk of birth defects in their babies. It’s important for any woman who wants to be pregnant or may become pregnant to discuss these issues with their doctors before the pregnancy begins. Despite the additional risks, however, the overwhelming majority of women with epilepsy who become pregnant give birth to normal, healthy babies.