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Epilepsy affects the brain and causes seizures known as fits. The various types of epilepsy are sporadic electrical storms in the brain, though each type has different causes, symptoms and treatments. Sometimes, these storms cause certain behaviours, such as staring in a trance like state, while others can result in involuntary movements, such as seizures. Epilepsy drugs are prescribed to control seizures, and if medications are ineffective, surgery can be necessary. According to the NHS, about 456,000 people in the UK are affected by epilepsy. Though epileptic symptoms can appear at any age, epilepsy usually begins in childhood. Follow the links below to find BootsWebMD's comprehensive coverage about epilepsy, what it looks like, how to treat it and much more.
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About 7 in 10 children diagnosed with epilepsy will grow out of it by the time they are 20, a new study from the Netherlands suggests.
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Any condition or event that affects the brain can cause epilepsy.The most common time to get epilepsy is over the age of 65 years, says Kim Morley, a specialist epilepsy nurse in Hampshire. This could be due to cerebrovascular disease [which affects blood vessels in the brain] such as a stroke. Other less common causes include brain tumours and degenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease.However, it's possible to develop epilepsy at any age and there are some things that increase the risk. These include other members of your family having epilepsy, problems during your birth, and your health and lifestyle.Strong family history is a risk factor, especially if your mother developed epilepsy before she was 20 years old and it wasn't due to something like meningitis or a head injury, says Morley. Other things that are known to increase your risk of epilepsy are:conditions that affect the brain, such as meningitis, cerebral palsy and dementia,stroke,some genetic
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