Diagnosing Epilepsy
... How is epilepsy diagnosed? The evaluation of patients with epilepsy is aimed at determining the type of seizures (epileptic versus nonepileptic) and their cause, since various seizure types respond be...

Signs and symptoms
... Because abnormal brain cell activity causes seizures, having a seizure can result in the sudden occurrence of any activity that''s coordinated by your brain. This can include temporary confusion, comp...

Causes
... The onset of epilepsy can often be traced to an accident, disease or medical trauma — such as a stroke — that injures your brain or deprives it of oxygen, often causing a small scar in you...

Risk factors
... Research suggests that genetic abnormalities contribute significantly to epilepsy. If you have a family history of the disease, you may be at increased risk. Head injuries are responsible for many cas...

When to seek medical advice
... Having a known diagnosis of epilepsy may not mean you need to seek medical help each time you have a seizure, as long as you and your family members are well versed in what to do when a seizure occurs...

Screening and diagnosis
... Because the possible causes of seizures are many, doctors may need to ask detailed questions and perform several tests to diagnose epilepsy, including: Medical history. Descriptions of your past seizu...