Brain conditions that cause damage to the brain, such as
brain tumors or strokes
, can cause epilepsy. Stroke is a leading cause of epilepsy in adults older than age 35. Infectious diseases. Infectious diseases, such as meningitis, AIDS and viral encephalitis, can cause epilepsy.
What happens in the brain of a person who has epilepsy?
During a seizure,
there is a sudden intense burst of electricity that disrupts how the brain usually works
. This activity can happen on one small part of the brain and last for just a couple of seconds, or it can spread right across the brain and keep going for many minutes.
What part of the brain causes epilepsy?
The temporal lobes
are the areas of the brain that most commonly give rise to seizures. The mesial portion (middle) of both temporal lobes is very important in epilepsy — it is frequently the source of seizures and can be prone to damage or scarring.
What organs are affected by epilepsy?
- Cardiovascular system. …
- Reproductive system. …
- Respiratory system. …
- Nervous system. …
- Muscular system. …
- Skeletal system. …
- Digestive system.
Can epilepsy go away?
While many forms of epilepsy require lifelong treatment to control the seizures,
for some people the seizures eventually go away
. The odds of becoming seizure-free are not as good for adults or for children with severe epilepsy syndromes, but it is possible that seizures may decrease or even stop over time.
Is epilepsy a mental illness?
Epilepsy is not a mental illness
. In fact, the vast majority of people living with epilepsy have no cognitive or psychological problem. For the most part, psychological issues in epilepsy are limited to people with severe and uncontrolled epilepsy.
Is epilepsy a disability?
Medically Qualifying for Disability Benefits Due to Epilepsy
Epilepsy is one of the conditions listed in the Social Security Administration’s Blue Book, which means that if you meet the requirements in the Blue Book listing for epilepsy you may be able to get disability benefits.
What are the warning signs of epilepsy?
- Temporary confusion.
- A staring spell.
- Uncontrollable jerking movements of the arms and legs.
- Loss of consciousness or awareness.
- Psychic symptoms such as fear, anxiety or deja vu.
What are the long term effects of epilepsy?
Long lasting seizures, or status epilepticus, may also
cause brain damage or death
. People with epilepsy are eight times more likely than people without it to experience certain other chronic conditions, including dementia, migraine, heart disease, and depression.
Are you born with epilepsy or does it develop?
Epilepsy and
seizures can develop in any person at any age
. 1 in 26 people will develop epilepsy in their lifetime. Factors such as other health conditions, age, and race may make developing epilepsy and seizures more likely.
Does epilepsy cause memory loss?
Over time, repeated temporal lobe seizures can cause the part of the brain that’s responsible for learning and memory (hippocampus)
to shrink
. Brain cell loss in this area may cause memory problems.
Is milk good for epilepsy?
Among different foods which may trigger the seizure occurrence, dairy products are major concerns because of excess use of a variety of them in dairy diet and several studies demonstrated cow’s milk protein allergy which
may induce epilepsy
[7].
Does epilepsy shorten life span?
Reduction in life
expectancy can be up to 2 years for people
with a diagnosis of idiopathic/cryptogenic epilepsy, and the reduction can be up to 10 years in people with symptomatic epilepsy. Reductions in life expectancy are highest at the time of diagnosis and diminish with time.
Does epilepsy get worse with age?
Epilepsy can develop at any age
. Early childhood and older adulthood tend to be the most common life stages. The outlook tends to be better for people who develop epilepsy as children — there’s a chance they might outgrow it as they age.
At what age does epilepsy appear?
They can cause a wide range of symptoms.
Epilepsy can start at any age
, but usually starts either in childhood or in people over 60. It’s often lifelong, but can sometimes get slowly better over time.
Does epilepsy run in families?
Some types of epilepsy run in families and
are both inherited and genetic
. Not all epilepsies that are due to genetic causes are inherited. In general, if a person’s mother, father or sibling has epilepsy, their risk of developing epilepsy by the age of 40 is less than 1 in 20.
