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Epilepsy is not a single condition but rather
a group of diverse neurological disorders that have in common
the characteristic of repeated, usually spontaneous seizures
that originate in the brain.
Epilepsy is defined as a tendency to have
recurrent 'fits' referred to as seizures that originate in the
brain. A seizure is the outward symptom of abnormal or excessive
brain activity. There are many different causes of abnormal
brain activity. It's like an 'electrical storm' in your brain.
Seizures vary widely in different individuals
and usually relate to exactly where in the brain the seizure
begins. During some seizures only an isolated part of the brain
is affected and a person may lose awareness and have automatic
movements such as fiddling with clothes, mumbling, chewing or
wandering about. In other seizures the whole brain will be affected
and the individual may suddenly lose consciousness, become rigid
and fall. The individual’s muscles then relax and tighten
rhythmically.
Some epilepsies can be categorised as specific
syndromes. A complex of signs and symptoms is used to define
a unique epilepsy syndrome. Syndromes will have different causes
in different individuals, yet share characteristics such as
the age of seizure onset, seizure type, intellectual development
and findings from examinations or tests.
Most people have only a vague idea of what
it means to have epilepsy and do not appreciate that there are
many different types of epilepsy. If you have been diagnosed
with epilepsy it is important to understand your type of seizure
and epilepsy syndrome if this is known, and how it may affect
you and what choices you have to manage it.
See Epilepsy and the Young Adult (PDF)
and a wider range of other self-help information from epilepsy
organisations listed under other sources of help.
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