Essay On Epilepsy

Epilepsy is classified as a central nervous system disorder otherwise known as a neurological disorder, this means nerve cell activity in the brain is disorganized caused by an electrical disturbance thus triggering seizures, unusual behavior, odd symptoms and abnormal sensations. Another name for epilepsy is seizure. Epilepsy can start within a person at any age but is more common in young children and the elderly. According to Mayo Clinic, “About 1 in 26 people in the United States will develop a seizure disorder. Nearly 10 percent of individuals may have a single unprovoked seizure. However, a single seizure doesn't mean you have epilepsy. At least two unprovoked seizures are generally required for an epilepsy diagnosis.” Therefore, having …show more content…
The effects of missing certain or taking medications, lack of sleep, heavy alcohol use, cocaine use and psychoactive drugs like ecstasy are also certain triggers for seizures. Epilepsy has many other causes but can be diagnosed into three main groups: symptomatic, idiopathic, and cryptogenic epilepsy. Symptomatic causes are things like low oxygen during birth, the brain not being developed properly, head injuries, brain tumors, meningitis or encephalitis and other infections, strokes, abnormal sodium level, and blood sugar levels are all explanations of symptomatic causes. Idiopathic epilepsy is when epilepsy is from a genetic tendency. This means it was inherited from one or both parents, it can also be from a gene change before someone is born. This means, epilepsy can run within families. Idiopathic epilepsy can also be a genetic condition that results in brain injury like tuberous sclerosis. Lastly, cryptogenic epilepsy is when the cause of a person’s epilepsy has not been found yet even after an analysis. The symptomatic, idiopathic, and cryptogenic categories help divide epilepsy causes and create a better chance at finding a correct treatment per