A seizure is described as a sudden, temporary burst of electrical activity in the brain that changes how messages are sent between brain cells. These bursts can cause involuntary body movements.
People who have multiple seizures may have a condition called epilepsy, which can impact your quality of life. There are several treatment options for people with seizure disorders and epilepsy.
What are the types of epilepsy and seizure disorders?
Seizure is the main symptom of epilepsy. The type of seizure and other symptoms depend on which part of your brain is affected.
The two types of seizures are:
- Generalized seizures: These seizures involve both sides of your brain at the same time. A person may lose consciousness, fall down or have twitching or jerking muscle contractions. There are six types of generalized seizures.
- Focal seizures: These seizures affect part of your brain. They can cause twitching, confusion, blank stare, or changes in taste, smell or hearing. There are two types of focal seizures.
Learn more about types of epilepsy seizures
What are seizure disorder symptoms and signs?
Seizure disorders symptoms can be different for each person. The key signs are sudden, brief, recurrent episodes of altered behavior that happen the same way every time. These episodes may include shaking, stiffening, body convulsions, unexplained confusion spells or loss of awareness.
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What is the main cause of epilepsy?
Some things that can lead to a person developing one or multiple seizures. This can indicate an underlying health issue, include:
- Traumatic brain injury: If you've had a head injury, that can damage areas of your brain and lead to seizures.
- Stroke: Brain bleeding can damage your brain and cause seizures.
- Birth injury: Sometimes, a baby can experience a brain injury during delivery or develops an infection around the time of birth. These and other birth-related events can cause seizure disorders.
- Heredity: Some people may be born with genetic mutations that affect brain development or function. These can include those seen in familial epilepsy syndromes or inherited metabolic and neurodevelopmental disorders.
A seizure specialist, like our physicians at the UC Davis Comprehensive Epilepsy Program, will work with you to determine the kind and cause of your seizure(s).
Explore the causes and risk factors of epilepsy
Why did I suddenly develop seizures?
Injuries and illnesses can lead to the sudden onset of seizures. But for some people, experts can't identify an exact cause. Sometimes a person will experience just one single seizure. Other times, a person will experience recurrent seizures (called epilepsy).
Some things that can lead to a person suddenly developing a single, provoked seizure include:
- Your brain is stressed: This can be due to lack of sleep, severe electrolyte imbalance (such as low sodium), or blood sugar that is too high or too low, as well as other causes.
- Lack of oxygen to your brain: If your brain doesn't get oxygen, such as during a heart attack or childbirth, you can develop a seizure.
See how our experts care for people with epilepsy
Can seizures go away?
Sometimes, seizures go away on their own. If they don't, centers like the UC Davis Comprehensive Epilepsy Program can offer treatments including the latest medications and surgical techniques to reduce the frequency of or eliminate your seizures.
Are there certain diets or foods that can help people with seizures and epilepsy?
Some diets have shown evidence of lowering seizure frequency. These include the ketogenic (keto) diet, modified Atkins diet and low glycemic index diet.
Learn about the keto diet and how it can benefit you
Does epilepsy get worse with age?
Epilepsy does not necessarily get worse with age, but its course can vary. Some people experience fewer seizures over time, while others may see changes due to age-related health issues.
Can I drive if I've had seizures?
In California, you can drive if you've had no seizures for 3-6 months. Each state has different rules for driving if you've had a history of seizures or epilepsy.
Is epilepsy a lifetime illness?
Some types of epilepsy are developmentally related, so people may grow out of the condition as they age. Others may notice that after a period of time during which their seizures are controlled by medication, they can wean off the medication and remain seizure-free.
Can I be cured of epilepsy?
For many patients, surgical treatments can offer complete freedom from seizures. If you've had multiple seizures, ask your health care provider for a referral to an epilepsy center (like the UC Davis Comprehensive Epilepsy Program). Specialists can then assess your condition and recommend treatment.
Are there treatments for epilepsy?
Health care providers can help treat epilepsy and control seizures. There are several options, such as medications, surgery and implanted devices.
At UC Davis Health, we have an Epilepsy Monitoring Unit as part of our Comprehensive Epilepsy Program. This unit specializes in diagnosing and treating people whose seizures aren't controlled by medication. It can help both adults and children.
Check out epilepsy treatment options
This blog was medically reviewed by Jack Lin, neurologist and director of the UC Davis Comprehensive Epilepsy Program.
