Epilepsy

Epilepsy affects 60,000 young people in the UK and more than half a million British people in total.  The condition is caused by excess electrical activity in the brain, which temporarily disrupts the normal messages passing between brain cells.  This results in recurring seizures.

For some people, epilepsy is caused by an obvious reason such as brain damage during birth, meningitis or a blow to the head.  For others, there is no apparent reason for epilepsy to have developed.

Types of seizure

There are different types of epileptic fits, including tonic-clonic seizures which are the most common. During a seizure of this kind, your muscles will contract which makes you lose consciousness, fall down and make jerking movements.  These don’t hurt, but can look scary to bystanders.

You may have absence seizures when you have a “blank moment”, stopping and staring at nothing for a short time.  To other people, it may look like you have stopped concentrating or are daydreaming.  Other types include atonic seizures which cause you to drop suddenly to the floor, and focal seizures where you might begin to twitch or jerk, experiencing numbness, sweating and dizziness.

Being diagnosed with epilepsy as a young person can be a traumatic experience, and you may be hesitant to tell other people.  But it’s very important that classmates, friends and family know about your condition so they can help you if you have a seizure.

It is likely that your epilepsy can be controlled with anti-epileptic drugs, which reduce seizures or stop them happening altogether.  Other treatments can include brain surgery, nerve stimulation and special diets.

If you are concerned about your epilepsy, speak to your doctor.   You can also turn to Epilepsy Action groups in Colchester and Tendring for advice and support.

Further help

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