What is epilepsy?

Epilepsy is a neurological disorder which affects the brain. It is a tendency to have repeated seizures. This tendency can be long-term, but the seizures can be controlled — meaning that a person can have epilepsy, but they may not have active seizures. Seizures can start in a part of the brain or happen in both sides of the brain at once.

Nearly 40,000 people in Ireland have epilepsy, as do 50 million people worldwide. For many sufferers, their epilepsy affects them most while seizures are active. For others, the impact of having epilepsy may be longer term, if their seizures continue.

⬤What causes epilepsy?

In half of cases, there is no known cause. The person has no illness, disease or damage to explain epilepsy. This is called idiopathic epilepsy.

Some causes are inborn or developmental, such as genetic abnormalities or structural problems in the brain, like malformed veins or areas which have not developed normally.

Genetic factors can be unique to the person or hereditary. Most people with epilepsy have no family history of it, but some epilepsies are more common in some families. A low seizure threshold, which can reduce the brain’s resistance to a seizure, may run in families. Some epilepsies are genetic, but may not be inherited. A genetic change may be part of the person’s unique genetic makeup, but may not affect their family members. Research into genetics and epilepsy is finding more and more genetic causes for epilepsy.

⬤How is the disorder treated?

The main treatment for epilepsy are anti-epileptic, or AEDs for short. The AED prescribed will depend on the seizure type. Sometimes more than one AED is needed. AEDs are all designed to stop too much electrical activity in the brain. The goal is to stop the seizures completely using one drug, or the fewest drugs with least side effects. This can sometimes take time to achieve. Seizure control is more likely when you are taking medication as prescribed and not changing it unless guided by your doctor or specialist nurse.