Epilepsy – Affect Type & Disorder

Rigomo Team

Sun, 05 Oct 2025

Epilepsy is a neurological disorder that could lead to uncontrolled bursts of electrical activities owing to the improper functioning of nerve cells. This temporary uncontrolled burst or excessive surge of electrical activity within the brain is called a Seizure, which could give rise to symptoms depending on which part of the brain is affected. 

Epilepsy is a chronic disease that causes repeated seizures, usually when someone experiences 2 or more unprovoked seizures within 24 hours.  twenty-four hours apart. “Unprovoked” seizures are those that aren't brought on by a usual cause, like alcohol withdrawal, heart issues, or hypoglycemia, that is once someone has extraordinarily low glucose levels.

Seizures are also the results of change in normal biology or a brain injury, however, typically their cause is unknown. The words “seizure disorder” and “epilepsy” are typically used interchangeably.

Types of seizure -

There are 2 main sorts of seizures—Focal, which are referred to as partial seizures, and generalized.

Focal seizures begin with abnormal discharge restricted to at least one tiny region of the brain. Affects one area of the brain and stays confined to 1 hemisphere. Symptoms will embody altered behaviors, thoughts, or movements.

Causes:

o   Focal seizures are also caused by an associated underlying structural abnormality within the brain.

o   Focal seizures may result to go trauma, stroke, infection, tumors, or different causes.

o   Certain genetic disorders may cause focal seizures.

Types of Focal Seizures

Focal seizures are of 2 types

1.    Simple focal seizures or Focal aware seizures: When a person is conscious and fully aware of what is happening

2.    Complex Focal seizures or Focal impaired-awareness seizure: Consciousness is usually affected and awareness is disrupted, and you will not be aware of what is happening around you.

Generalized seizures begin with a widespread, excessive discharge involving each hemisphere, or side, of the brain. Symptoms embody staring and blinking, jerking movements, loss of tone, and stiffening of limbs. once the whole brain is involved, symptoms include regular, full-body jerking. Seizures that arise from each hemisphere of the brain at the same time and spreads over

The reason for generalized seizures is likely to be genetic. Very seldom is the disorder inherited disorder and typically it's an unknown cause.

Difference Between Epilepsy and Seizure -

Understanding the distinction between seizures and brain disorder starts with knowing seizures constitute 2 main classes counting on why they happen.

o   Provoked seizures: These happen attributable to different conditions or circumstances (high fevers, alcohol or ending, low blood sugar). These seizures constitute 25% to 50% of all seizures.

o   Unprovoked seizures: These are not symptoms of a current medical condition or circumstance and occur once a person’s brain will cause spontaneous seizures. This conjointly includes seizures that happen after 7 days when a particular cause (like a head injury or stroke) had occurred.

Epilepsy could be a brain condition that puts you in danger of getting spontaneous, unprovoked seizures. Health care suppliers diagnose it after you have a minimum of 2 unprovoked seizures, Or you have one unprovoked seizure and have a high risk of getting a minimum of a new one within the next ten years. Having one unprovoked seizure will increase the chances of getting another.

How does it affect our body?

Your brain contains billions of cells called neurons. These cells transmit and relay chemical and electrical signals. One nerve cell in your brain connects to thousands of additional, forming human neural activity networks. Those networks of your brain work along so that you'll be able to do things like solve issues, store recollections and move around.

Seizures happen once a malfunction causes neurons to fire electrical signals uncontrollably. That causes neurons to go haywire. The more haywire neurons, the larger the impact of the seizure. If these malfunctions happen more often, it will affect how your brain cells work and cause seizures to happen.

If they keep happening or seizures last too long, these electrical malfunctions can harm and destroy your brain cells. once this happens to enough neurons in a part of your brain, the result may be permanent brain damage. Seizures may cause severe changes in your blood chemistry as your body tries to manage the physical effects of convulsions.

Causes of Seizure -

Seizures will happen for several different reasons. These include:

o   Aneurysms.

o   Brain tumors

o   Cerebral hypoxia (lack of oxygen).

o   Severe concussion and traumatic brain injury.

o   Degenerative brain disorders like Alzheimer’s disease

o   Drugs and alcohol (this includes prescription medications, recreational medicine, and even caffeine).

o   Drug or alcohol withdrawal.

o   Eclampsia

o   Electrolyte issues, particularly low sodium (hyponatremia).

o   Fevers, particularly high ones

o   Genetic disorders (conditions you've got at birth that you just transmissible from one or both parents).