Epilepsy

1 Pages 328 Words

Epilepsy

Epilepsy is the tendency to have repeated seizures that originate in the brain. The brain is a highly complex structure composed of millions of nerve cells. Nerve cells in the brain are responsible for a wide range of functions including consciousness, awareness, movement, and body posture. Nerve cell activity is usually well organised. A sudden, temporary interruption in some or all of the functions of the nerve cells may be called a 'seizure' or 'fit'. Many people have a single seizure at some point in their lives, but this does not mean that they have epilepsy. If a person has a tendency to experience repeated seizures which originate in the brain, then they may be diagnosed as having epilepsy.
Any person's brain has the capacity to produce a seizure under certain conditions, but most are not likely to do this spontaneously. The reasons why some people develop epilepsy are not straightforward and there are many possible causes. In over 70 percent of cases no cause for epilepsy is identified. Each individual has a level of resistance to seizures. This level of resistance varies from person to person and is probably part of their genetic make-up. A person with a low seizure resistance might develop epilepsy spontaneously without other factors being involved. Sometimes a tendency to have seizures can be seen in families where several members have epilepsy. The genetics of epilepsy are complex. In some people, their seizure resistance may be lowered if the brain gets injured. If the injury is severe, possibly due to a car accident, tumour, stroke or trauma at birth, then epilepsy may develop as a result. Some people develop epilepsy following an infection that affects the brain, such as meningitis or encephalitis.
Many people believe that seizures are caused by stress or periods of emotional upset, or a relatively minor blow to the head. Although these factors usually contribute to the cause of individual seizures, they...