Seizure is a sudden, uncontrolled electrical disturbance in the brain. It can cause changes in behaviour, movements or feelings, and in levels of consciousness.

Patients having two or more seizures or a tendency to have recurrent seizures, are termed to be having epilepsy.

Usually, a seizure lasts from a few seconds to a few minutes. It depends on the type of seizure.

Sometimes it is hard to tell when a person is having a seizure. A person having a seizure may seem confused or look like they are staring at something that isn’t there. Other seizures can cause a person to fall, shake, and become unaware of what’s going on around them.

Seizures are classified into two groups.

1. Generalized seizures affect both sides of the brain.
2. Focal seizures affect just one area of the brain. These seizures are also called partial seizures.

Not always. Seizures can also happen because of other medical problems. These problems include:

• A high fever.
• Low blood sugar.
• Alcohol or drug withdrawal.

Epilepsy can be caused by different conditions that affect a person’s brain. Some known causes include:

• Stroke
• Brain tumor
• Brain infection
• Traumatic brain injury or head injury
• Loss of oxygen to the brain (for example, during birth).
• Hereditary causes
• Developmental anomalies of the brain
• For 2 in 3 people, the cause of epilepsy is unknown. This type of epilepsy is called cryptogenic or idiopathic.