The Facts About Epilepsy

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What Causes Epilepsy?

Any change of normal activity in the brain can cause a seizure. A person who has epilepsy is more likely than other people to have a seizure.

For some people, there is a clear cause, such as a birth defect or brain injury. But a single cause of epilepsy cannot be found for half of all people with epilepsy. This is sometimes called “idiopathic epilepsy”—which just means that we don’t know the reason.

The different causes of epilepsy usually happen at different times of life.

  • A birth defect or brain injury during pregnancy or after birth is likely to lead to seizures in childhood.
  • Strokes, heart attacks, and other conditions that deprive the brain of oxygen also can cause epilepsy, including approximately 1 in 3 cases among elderly people.
  • A head injury can lead to a seizure disorder at any age.
  • Epilepsy can also develop as a result of brain damage from another disorder. Connections in the brain may be changed by brain tumors, alcoholism, or Alzheimer's disease.
  • Meningitis, AIDS, viral encephalitis, and other infectious diseases can cause fluid to build up in the brain, leading to changes that make seizures more likely.

Want to know more about seizures and what causes them? Watch the video now.

What Can Cause a Seizure?

Many things that cause seizures are common parts of everyday life. These include:

  • Lack of sleep
  • Stress
  • Hormone changes (such as those that occur during a woman’s menstrual cycle)
  • Drinking alcohol
  • Overdoses of medicine or exposure to other drugs
  • Exposure to lead, carbon monoxide, or other poisons
  • Flashing lights

Treating Your Epilepsy

You don’t need to know the exact cause of your epilepsy to get treatment that works. Vimpat offers hope in epilepsy treatment, even for people who have tried other epilepsy medications. Adding Vimpat has been shown to reduce the number of partial-onset seizures you could experience, letting you focus more on life.

Next: Diagnosing Epilepsy

Meet Michele B., adding Vimpat since 2006

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