What is epilepsy? Know all about its symptoms and causes

Epilepsy is a disorder related to the central nervous system in which nerve cell activity in the brain is disrupted. As a result, the patient may have seizures, may become unconscious or may behave abnormally for some time.

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Epilepsy is not an infectious disease. It is not caused by mental illness or mental weakness. In most cases, seizures caused by epilepsy do not cause any ill effects on the brain, but occasionally seizures can cause brain damage.

Symptoms of Epilepsy

Recurrent seizures are one of the main symptoms of epilepsy. If a patient shows symptoms of epilepsy, a doctor should be consulted immediately.

In addition to seizures, other symptoms of epilepsy may include:-

• Anger
• Dizzy
• Blackout or memory loss
• Numbness
• Tingling and sensation in the body
• Frequent tremors in the muscles of the face, neck, and arms
• Sudden change in the ability to touch, hear, or smell

Causes of Epilepsy

Epilepsy can be due to many reasons. The main reasons for this may include:

• Genetic cause
• Fatal head injury
• Having a brain tumour or cyst
• AIDS
• Meningitis
• Vascular disease
• Prenatal head injury
• Dementia or Alzheimer's disease
• Excessive alcohol or drug use
• Brain stroke (it is believed to be the main cause of epilepsy in people over the age of 35)
• Lack of oxygen to the brain during childbirth
• Developmental disorder or neurological disease present from birth

In addition to the reasons listed above, there can be other causes of epilepsy depending on the age and overall health of the patient and the type of epilepsy.