This page aims to explain basic information about epilepsy: what it is, who is affected by it, how it is treated and what first aid to give to someone who is having a seizure. However, for a person with epilepsy, there is much more to the condition than these basic details; there is a significant impact on many areas of life. As a young person, this impact may be even greater as you face new experiences, make important decisions and strive to gain independence. Therefore there is a page containing some relevant information. If you want to know more about any of the areas mentioned, contact the National Society for Epilepsy, which can direct you to further sources of information. Also included here is an extract from the diary of Priya Bose, a 19 year old who has epilepsy. You may be interested in reading about how she is learning to balance her everyday life as a student while coping with her epilepsy.

What is epilepsy?

Epilepsy is the most common serious neurological condition in the UK. It can be described as a tendency to have repeated seizures (also called 'fits'), which originate in the brain. The brain is responsible for carrying messages to all parts of the body to control functions such as awareness, movement and speech. If there is a temporary disturbance in the way these messages are carried, a seizure may result. There are many different types of seizure and not all of them involve convulsions. These are the main types:

GENERALISED SEIZURES: these involve the whole brain and consciousness is lost.

• Tonic Clonic (used to be called grand mal) in which the person becomes rigid and then convulses. They may fall if standing.
• Tonic in which there is stiffening of the muscles, without any jerking. The person may fall.
• Atonic (also called drop attacks), in which there is a sudden loss of muscle tone, again causing the person to fall if standing.
• Myoclonic in which the person's limbs jerk.
• Absences in which the person briefly loses consciousness. They may stare and look blank.

• Simple partial seizures happen with the person fully conscious. There may be either twitching of one limb or unusual sensations such as pins and needles, or a strange taste or smell. These seizures often develop into other kinds of seizures and so are sometimes called a warning or aura.
• Complex partial seizures in which the person's awareness is altered. They may wander around in a confused manner and show automatic movements such as fiddling with clothes and objects or smacking their lips.
• Secondarily generalised seizures occur when a partial seizure spreads to involve the whole brain, often resulting in a convulsive seizure.

Epilepsy affects about 1 in 200 people, which means that there are at least 300,000 people in the UK with the condition. Anyone can develop epilepsy at any time of their life, but it develops most often in children and after the age of 65.
In some people, epilepsy arises as a result of damage to the brain, such as a head injury, brain infection, stroke, brain tumour or birth trauma. However in others, no apparent cause can be found for their epilepsy. In these cases, genetics may play a part, through a low 'seizure threshold' (low resistance to epilepsy) being passed from parent to child, but the condition itself is not directly inherited.

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How is epilepsy treated?

The best known treatment for epilepsy is antiepileptic medication. There are a number of different types of medication available, each of which affects people differently, so a drug which controls seizures in one person may not help another. With appropriate medication, up to 80% of people with epilepsy get their seizures fully under control. They may need to continue taking medication for some time even if the seizures have stopped.
A small number of people whose seizures continue may benefit from brain surgery, but this is only possible if the seizures are starting in one part of the brain.
Some people are able to avoid seizures by avoiding situations which they know may trigger a seizure, such as lack of sleep, stress, too much alcohol or not taking tablets as prescribed. A few people find that complementary therapies such as aromatherapy, which help relaxation, may make their seizures less frequent; however these therapies are best used alongside, rather than instead of, anti-epileptic medication.

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What to do in the event of a seizure

Most seizures last only a short time and stop of their own accord. Injuries can occur, but most people do not come to any harm in a seizure, and do not usually need to see a doctor. However there are a few important things to note.

DURING A CONVULSIVE SEIZURE

• Do prevent others from crowding round
• Do put something soft under the person's head
• Do roll the person onto their side, once the seizure has stopped
• Do check their breathing after the seizures
• Do stay with them until they are fully recovered
• Don't hold the person down or restrain their movements
• Don't move them unless they are in a dangerous place e.g. in the road
• Don't put anything in their mouth
• Medical assistance should be called if the seizure goes on for longer than 5 minutes (or longer than is normal for that person) or is closely followed by another seizure, if the person is injured, or if they are still having trouble breathing after the seizure has stopped.

• If the person falls and recovers, reassure them, check for injury and stay with them until fully recovered.
• If they behave in a confused manner or wander aimlessly, do not restrain them but guide them gently away from danger. Reassure them and stay with them until recovered.