Emerging Infectious Diseases

Epilepsy

Epilepsy is a group of related disorders characterized by a tendency for recurrent seizures.  In epilepsy, seizures tend to recur, and have no immediate underlying cause while seizures that occur due to a specific cause are not deemed to represent epilepsy. The cause of most cases of epilepsy is unknown, although some people develop epilepsy as the result of brain injury, stroke, brain tumors, and substance use disorders. Seizure symptoms can vary widely. Some people with epilepsy simply stare blankly for a few seconds during a seizure, while others repeatedly twitch their arms or legs  If epilepsy is diagnosed (ongoing tendency to have seizures), the doctor will prescribe seizure-preventing drugs or anti-epileptic drugs.