Epilepsy

Epilepsy is a chronic noncommunicable disease of the brain that affects people of all ages. It is characterized by recurrent seizures, which are brief episodes of involuntary movement that may involve a part of the body (partial) or the entire body (generalized) and are sometimes accompanied by loss of consciousness and control of bowel or bladder function.

Seizure episodes are a result of excessive electrical discharges in a group of brain cells. Different parts of the brain can be the site of such discharges. Seizures can vary from the briefest lapses of attention or muscle jerks to severe and prolonged convulsions. Seizures can also vary in frequency, from less than one per year to several per day.

One seizure does not signify epilepsy. Epilepsy is defined as having two or more unprovoked seizures.

Two main types of seizures

Generalized seizures begin with sudden abnormal electrical activity throughout the entire brain at once. These seizure types include tonic-clonic convulsions (“grand mal” seizures) and absence seizures (“petit mal” or staring seizures).

Partial seizures begin with abnormal electrical activity in just one part of the brain. Although the activity starts in a specific area of the brain, this activity can spread to other parts as well. These seizure types include simple partial seizures…