Epilepsy is not a disease, and it is not contagious. It is a common neurological disorder that causes sudden, uncontrollable electrical surges in the brain. These brief interruptions in the brain activities causes periods of altered awareness, known as seizures whose nature and intensity vary from person to person.

There is no single cause of epilepsy, and in 70% of all cases, there is no known cause. In the remaining 30% of cases, Some of the known causes of epilepsy are:

Severe head injury

Infections that damage the brain

Toxic substances that affect the brain

Brain tumor and stroke

Hereditary disease affecting the brain

High Fever

Lack of oxygen to the brain

Metabolism or nutrition imbalance


Recognising Seizures:

Seizures may present in many forms but are always due to bursts of electrical activity within the brain. It may appear as a brief stare, an unusual movement of the body, consciousness, a change in awareness, muscle spasms or convulsions. A single seizure is not considered epilepsy. When seizures occur again and again, the patient is said to have epilepsy.

Seizure may last a few seconds or a few minutes and the number of seizures vary greatly from person to person - from a few a year to several a day.


Common types of Seizures:

Generalised Seizures

Tonic Clonic Seizures

Tonic Seizures

Absence Seizures

Partial Seizures

Simple Partial Seizures

Complex Partial Seizures

Atonic Seizures

Myoclonic Seizures


** Epilepsy can affect anyone at any time and any age.