what causes people to have epilepsy?
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- People have seizures when the electrical signals in the brain misfire. These overactive electrical discharges disrupt the brain's normal electrical activity and cause a temporary communication problem among nerve cells. Having a seizure doesn't always mean that a person has epilepsy. Seizures can be triggered in anyone under certain conditions, such as life-threatening dehydration or being severely overheated. But when a person experiences repeated seizures for no obvious reason, that person is said to have epilepsy.
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- This's no clear-cut answer to why people have epilepsy. Often doctors can't pinpoint the exact cause of a person's epilepsy. But scientists do know that some things can make a person more likely to develop epilepsy, including: a brain injury, such as from a car crash or bike accident.
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- The epilepsies have many possible causes, but for up to half of people with epilepsy a cause is not known. In other cases, the epilepsies are clearly linked to genetic factors, developmental brain abnormalities, infection, traumatic brain injury, stroke, brain tumors, or other identifiable problems.
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Kevin Conrad Epilepsy may be due to a medical condition or injury that affects the brain, or the cause may be unknown (idiopathic). Common causes of epilepsy include: 1  Stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA). 2  Dementia, such as Alzheimer's disease. 3  Traumatic brain injury.4  Infections, including brain abscess, meningitis, encephalitis, and AIDS. 5  Brain problems that are present at birth (congenital brain defect).ommon causes of epilepsy include: 1  Stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA). 2  Dementia, such as Alzheimer's disease. 3  Traumatic brain injury. 4  Infections, including brain abscess, meningitis, encephalitis, and AIDS. 5  Brain problems that are present at birth (congenital brain defect).
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- ●Epileptic seizures – People with epilepsy have a type of brain dysfunction that intermittently causes episodes of abnormal electrical activity. This can be caused by any type of brain injury, such as trauma, stroke, brain infection, or a brain tumor. In some individuals, epilepsy is an inherited condition.
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- 1 Each year, about 48 of every 100,000 people will develop epilepsy. 2  However, seizures may occur more often in different age groups (very young and older people), in different races, and in different areas of the world. 3  At any one point in time, between 2.2 and 3 million people are treated for epilepsy. The rate of new cases of epilepsy gradually goes down until about age 10 and then becomes stable. 2  After age 55, the rate of new cases of epilepsy starts to increase, as people develop strokes, brain tumors, or Alzheimer's disease, which all can cause epilepsy.
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causes of epilepsy A person might start having seizures because they have one or more of the following. 1  A genetic tendency, passed down from one or both parents (inherited). 2  A genetic tendency that is not inherited, but is a new change in the person's genes.
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- As noted earlier, all seizures are not caused by epilepsy. ●Epileptic seizures – People with epilepsy have a type of brain dysfunction that intermittently causes episodes of abnormal electrical activity. This can be caused by any type of brain injury, such as trauma, stroke, brain infection, or a brain tumor.
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Epilepsy and Seizures in Older Adults Epilepsy is a broad term used for a brain disorder that causes seizures. In the United States, 2.4 million adults aged 18 years or older have active epilepsy.1,2 About 1% of adults 65 years of age and older have active epilepsy, which is about 447,000 people.1,2 That's about the size of Corpus Christi, TX.
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- 1 Some young children may be born with a structural change in an area of the brain that gives rise to seizures. 2  About 3 out of 10 children with autism spectrum disorder may also have seizures. 3  The exact cause and relationship is still not clear. 4  Infections of the brain are also common causes of epilepsy.
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Epilepsy and Seizures Epilepsy is a neurological condition involving the brain that makes people more susceptible to having recurrent seizures. It is one of the most common disorders of the nervous system and affects people of all ages, races, and ethnic background. Almost 2.2 million Americans live with epilepsy.
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- There are many possible causes of depression in people with epilepsy. One of the most common is brain injury. The area of the brain responsible for mood may be affected in people whose epilepsy is cause by brain injury. This may lead to a variety of mood changes, including depression.
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Seizures and Epilepsy in Children Epilepsy is a neurological condition involving the brain that makes people more susceptible to having recurrent unprovoked seizures. It is one of the most common disorders of the nervous system and affects people of all ages, races and ethnic background.
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- Epilepsy is a disorder of the nervous system. 1  Epilepsy causes sudden, intense bursts of electrical activity in the brain. These bursts cause seizures, which may affect: 2  Muscle control. 3  Movement. 4  Speech. 5  Vision. 6  Awareness.
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Overview Seizure symptoms can vary widely. Some people with epilepsy simply stare blankly for a few seconds during a seizure, while others repeatedly twitch their arms or legs. About 1 in 26 people in the United States will develop a seizure disorder. Nearly 10 percent of individuals may have a single unprovoked seizure.
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- The epilepsies have many possible causes, but for up to half of people with epilepsy a cause is not known. In other cases, the epilepsies are clearly linked to genetic factors, developmental brain abnormalities, infection, traumatic brain injury, stroke, brain tumors, or other identifiable problems.f a woman’s seizures are controlled for the 9 months prior to pregnancy, she is more likely to continue to have seizure control during pregnancy. For all women with epilepsy during pregnancy, approximately 15-25 percent will have seizure worsening, but another 15-25 percent will have seizure improvement.
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- Epilepsy Overview. Epilepsy is a brain disorder that causes a person to have recurrent seizures caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain. Approximately one in 100 Americans have experienced a seizure or been diagnosed with epilepsy (meaning they have had repeated seizures). For future doctor visits, keep a diary of when your seizures occur, the characteristics of the seizures (staring, confusion, convulsions, etc), and if you notice any triggers (such as smells, sounds, lights, lack of sleep, alcohol use, medications, etc.) that seem to precede your seizures.
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- 1 Some people with no known cause of epilepsy may have a genetic form of epilepsy. 2  One or more genes may cause the epilepsy or epilepsy may be caused by the way some genes work in the brain.
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- 1 Infections of the brain are also common causes of epilepsy. 2  The initial infections are treated with medication, but the infection can leave scarring on the brain that causes seizures at a later time. 3  People of all ages can have head injuries, though severe head injuries happen most often in young adults.
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- This is more likely if the epilepsy starts in childhood, has been well-controlled by medication, or if the person has had surgery to remove the brain focus of the abnormal cell firing. Many people with epilepsy lead productive lives, but some will be severely impacted by their epilepsy.
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Epilepsy and Seizures It is one of the most common disorders of the nervous system and affects people of all ages, races, and ethnic background. Almost 2.2 million Americans live with epilepsy. Anything that interrupts the normal connections between nerve cells in the brain can cause a seizure.
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- 1 Epilepsy is a brain disorder in which clusters of nerve cells, or neurons, in the brain sometimes signal abnormally causing strange sensations, emotions, and behavior, or sometimes convulsions, muscle spasms, and loss of consciousness.
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Understanding Seizures and Epilepsy Seizures, abnormal movements or behavior due to unusual electrical activity in the brain, are a symptom of epilepsy. But not all people who appear to have seizures have epilepsy, a group of related disorders characterized by a tendency for recurrent seizures.
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Epilepsy - overview Seizures are episodes of uncontrolled and abnormal firing of brain cells that may cause changes in attention or behavior. Epilepsy occurs when permanent changes in the brain cause it to be too excitable or irritable. As a result, the brain sends out abnormal signals. This leads to repeated, unpredictable seizures. Epilepsy may be due to a medical condition or injury that affects the brain.
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Overview Because epilepsy is caused by abnormal activity in brain cells, seizures can affect any process your brain coordinates. Symptoms vary depending on the type of seizure. In most cases, a person with epilepsy will tend to have the same type of seizure each time, so the symptoms will be similar from episode to episode. Doctors generally classify seizures as either focal or generalized, based on how the abnormal brain activity begins.
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Epilepsy - overview Epilepsy is a brain disorder in which a person has repeated seizures over time. Seizures are episodes of uncontrolled and abnormal firing of brain cells that may cause changes in attention or behavior. Epilepsy occurs when permanent changes in the brain cause it to be too excitable or irritable. As a result, the brain sends out abnormal signals. This leads to repeated, unpredictable seizures. (A single seizure that does not happen again is not epilepsy.) Epilepsy may be due to a medical condition or injury that affects the brain. Or the cause may be unknown (idiopathic).
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Depression, Epilepsy, and Suicide May Be Linked It has long been recognized that depression is common among people with epilepsy. The assumption has been that having epilepsy increases the risk of depression and, in a subgroup, completed suicide, the authors write.
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- A person is diagnosed with epilepsy if they have had at least two seizures that were not caused by some known and reversible medical condition like alcohol withdrawal or extremely low blood sugar. The seizures in epilepsy may be related to a brain injury or a family tendency, but often the cause is completely unknown. Epilepsy is characterized by unpredictable seizures and can cause other health problems. 2  Epilepsy is a spectrum condition with a wide range of seizure types and control varying from person-to-person.