Epilepsy

Epilepsy affects about 50 million people around the world and is the most common serious neurological condition.

Patients with epilepsy have recurrent seizures because there is too much electrical activity in part of their brain (partial or focal epilepsy) or all of their brain (generalized epilepsy). Seizures can take many forms including loss of feeling, staring, muscle spasms, abnormal movements, brief or more prolonged change or loss of consciousness.

Epilepsy is more prevalent in young children and the elderly, but it can occur at any age sometimes after head injury, brain tumor or a stroke. However, it can start in adults too, affecting those more than 65 years of age (usually after a head injury, brain tumor or a stroke). In six out of 10 new cases of epilepsy, the cause of the disease is not known.

Epilepsy itself can cause brain damage or even be fatal. That's why it's so important to get effective treatment for epilepsy.

In many cases epilepsy is not well understood. Even today if you have epilepsy, it can happen that people avoid you and it can be difficult to make friends, get a job or find a place to live.