Epilepsy
What is epilepsy?
Epilepsy is a chronic neurological condition characterized by recurrent seizures due to irregular electrical activity in the brain. There are several types of seizures affecting movement, sensations, behavior, and awareness.
With the right diagnosis, treatment and support, many people with epilepsy can effectively manage their seizures and continue living full and active lives.
At Affidea neuraCare, you’ll receive personalized care from a world-class team every moment of your journey. Backed by deep experience and the latest innovations, we work to bring you the full potential of modern medicine.
Read on to learn more about causes of epilepsy, the types of epileptic seizures, and diagnostics and treatments at Affidea neuraCare.
Causes of epilepsy
Epilepsy is a complex condition that can have a wide range of causes. It’s thought to be a combination of genetics and environmental factors. For many people, there is no known cause for their epilepsy.
Possible causes include:
- Brain damage due to a head injury (post traumatic epilepsy), infection, stroke, or tumour
- The brain not developing properly in the womb
- Inheriting a gene linked to epilepsy from your parents
- Having a spontaneous genetic mutation linked to epilepsy that wasn’t inherited from your parents
- Genetic conditions affecting the brain, such as tuberous sclerosis
Other causes of seizures
Having a seizure does not always mean you have epilepsy. Other acute causes of seizures include:
- Fever – including seizures young children during fever called febrile seizures
- Low blood sugar
- Electrolyte imbalance
- Withdrawal syndromes
- Brain injury – including not getting enough oxygen or blood flow, such as hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy in newborns caused during or shortly after birth
The cause of any seizure should always be investigated and treated, if needed. Although not caused by epilepsy, some conditions such as febrile seizures are linked to increased future risk of epilepsy.
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Signs and symptoms of epilepsy
The main symptom of epilepsy is seizures and they’re usually the only symptom. An epileptic seizure is a sudden burst of activity in the brain. It can look and feel different depending on the parts of the brain it affects, varying from short attention lapses to prolonged convulsions.
When you have a seizure, it may cause involuntary movements (motor symptoms) or sensations (non-motor symptoms). These may be:
Motor symptoms:
- Repetitive movements, such as chewing, pulling at clothes, or kicking your feet
- Uncontrollable jerking movements
- Suddenly becoming stiff or limp
Non-motor symptoms:
- Losing awareness or consciousness
- Experiencing unusual smells or tastes without a clear cause
- Strange feelings, for example feeling like you’ve experienced this before (déjà vu)
- Feeling intense emotions without warning
Common epilepsy seizure triggers
Everybody experiences epilepsy differently. For some people, certain feelings or situations may make a seizure more likely to happen. These are called triggers, and though they do not cause epilepsy, they can increase the likelihood of a seizure in people with epilepsy.
Seizures can be triggered by:
- Not taking anti-seizure medication as prescribed
- Stress
- Not sleeping properly
- Certain foods or frequently missing meals
- Alcohol and recreational substances
- Flashing lights
- Menstruation
- Some essential oils
- A high temperature – this can be a common trigger for some children
You won’t have all of these triggers, or you may not have any triggers at all. It’s useful to make a note of what you were doing before a seizure. This can help you identify triggers and have an idea of things to avoid.
Types of epileptic seizures
Epileptic seizures are seizures caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain. There are different types depending on:
- Where they start in the brain
- Whether you’re responsive during your seizure
- Whether your seizures involve movements (motor symptoms) or sensations (non-motor symptoms)
Knowing the type of seizure you have can help your neurologist provide the right treatment and support for you. The main types are:
- Focal seizures, which start in one half of the brain and cause strange sensations or movements. You may be aware or not aware of your surroundings.
- Absence seizures, which cause you to become unaware and unresponsive for a short time. These more commonly occur in children than adults.
- Myoclonic seizures, which cause the muscles to twitch and jerk, and you’re aware of what’s happening. This can happen several times in succession (called a cluster).
- Atonic seizures, where the muscles relax suddenly and quickly. They may make you go limp and fall forwards.
- Tonic seizures, which tense the muscles suddenly and quickly. They may make you stiffen and fall backwards.
- Tonic clonic seizures, which cause you to lose consciousness and stiffen. Your muscles continuously tense and relax, causing you to jerk and shake.
Status epilepticus
When you have a seizure, it usually starts and stops by itself. How long it lasts is usually the same each time. If your seizure continues for more than five minutes or you have multiple seizures in a row without a recovery period, this is called status epilepticus.
It’s rare but can happen with any type of seizure and you may need to see a doctor or receive urgent care. We offer seizure first aid training for you and your loved ones, which offers expert guidance on how to recognize status epilepticus and what to do in an emergency.
Find out more ways we can help you and your family, and learn more about your condition on our supportive care page.
Diagnosing epilepsy
Not all seizures are caused by epilepsy. For an epilepsy diagnosis, your neurologist will need to confirm one of the following:
- You’ve had two or more seizures within 24 hours
- You’ve had one seizure and are assessed to have a 60% chance of another within the next ten years
- A diagnosis of an epilepsy syndrome, such as Dravet syndrome, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome or generalised tonic-clonic seizures alone (GTCA)
How is epilepsy diagnosed?
There is no single test to diagnose epilepsy. Your neurologist uses a combination of tests, scans, your symptoms, and medical history to help make a diagnosis.
- A consultation to discuss your symptoms, such as when the seizures started, what happened, and how they felt
- An EEG to assess the electrical activity of your brain
- Imaging scans to check your brain function and structure, such as an MRI scan or a CT scan
- An ECG to rule out your seizures being caused by heart issues
- A blood test to rule out other reasons for your seizures, such as diabetes, abnormal electrolyte levels or low blood sugar levels
- Other pathology tests e.g. genetic testing (if a genetic cause is suspected) or antibody testing (if autoimmune encephalitis is suspected)
A thorough assessment by a specialist neurologist can help give you a clear explanation for your symptoms. It can also offer reassurance that you’ll receive the right combination of care for your specific needs.
Epilepsy treatment
No two experiences of epilepsy are alike. Everyone’s journey is different and the best treatment for epilepsy depends on the individual. Some people find their seizures resolve with relatively straightforward care while others may need a more involved treatment plan.
We offer extraordinary care for all types of epilepsy across all ages, including rare and difficult to treat cases. Our precision-based approach to medicine means we take into account your genetics, environment, and lifestyle to provide personalized care.
Through our active participation in research and clinical trials, patients have the opportunity to access new, promising treatments not widely available elsewhere, such as the latest anti-seizure medications and non-invasive nerve stimulation alternatives.
Common treatments for epilepsy involve one or more of the following:
- Anti-seizure medications (also calle anti-epileptic drugs) are used to help reduce the frequency and intensity of seizures. This is one of the main treatment options and you may take one or more as part of your treatment.
- Epilepsy surgery (also called neurosurgery) can be an option if medication is not effective or a specific area of the brain is causing your seizures.
- Vagus nerve stimulation therapy involves a medical device placed next to the vagus nerve in your neck or chest, which emits regular electrical pulses to regulate abnormal brain activity responsible for seizures.
- A ketogenic diet created by a specialist dietician can be an option for some people if seizures cannot be controlled with medication alone.
- Occupational therapy provides practical support to help you continue doing the things you want and need to do as safely as possible, such as strategies to identify and avoid your triggers.
While there is no cure for epilepsy, some people find epilepsy has little impact on their life outside of their seizures. For others, additional support can make a real difference, especially with work, travel, and lifestyle.
We offer a diverse range of supportive services to help you live confidently and well, including seizure first aid training, condition education and resources, emotional counselling, and more.
