FAQs

Modern treatment is highly effective, and usually takes the form of anti-epileptic medication, and surgery in certain intractable cases. Treatment of known causative conditions will often reduce or resolve seizures.

The cause of epilepsy is often not known. Known causes include infections such as meningitis, strokes, head injury, brain surgery, drug and alcohol abuse, brain tumours and fever.

Epilepsy is a condition involving recurrent seizures over an extended period of time.

Different factors may trigger seizures in different people with epilepsy. Such factors include stress, sleep deprivation, a change in diet or medication, alcohol, certain activities or environmental factors such as flashing lights, and menstruation and pregnancy in women. Sometimes it is not known what triggers a seizure.

Seizures are usually not life-threatening in themselves; however, the consequences of seizing (e.g. while driving or swimming) may be fatal. In rare cases, epilepsy itself can cause death if prolonged repeated seizures are not treated properly.

A seizure is a sudden "electrical storm" in the brain: an uncontrolled burst of electrical and chemical activity spreads rapidly between the nerve cells. This can produce different symptoms, from the person "blanking out" for a few seconds, to full-blown convulsions.

Do: Insert an oral airway, padded tongue blade or other soft object between the teeth at the onset of the seizure, if you have experience in doing this. Remove objects near the person that may cause injury. Put a pillow under the head if it's on a hard surface. Turn the person onto one side. Call emergency medical services if the seizure continues beyond a few minutes or if consciousness is not regained between seizures. Don't: Try to force a hard object between the teeth once the jaws are closed. Restrain the person's movements.