Epilepsy: Seizure Types, Causes, and Key Information

Author: Disabled World (DW)
Updated/Revised Date: 2 Aug 2026

Table of Contents:
Synopsis - Definition - About This Section - FAQs - Publications - Subtopics

Synopsis

Learn about epilepsy, a chronic neurological disorder causing recurrent seizures, including seizure types, causes, syndromes, and how to help during a seizure.

At a Glance

• 1 - Temporal lobe epilepsy is the most common form of epilepsy in adults.
• 2 - An estimated 5 to 10 percent of people will have a seizure at some point in life.
• 3 - If a seizure lasts longer than 5 minutes or the seizures come in waves, emergency services should be contacted right away.
• 4 - The Social Security Administration lists myoclonic epilepsy with ragged-red fibers as a Compassionate Allowance to speed up a disability claim.

Topic Definition

Epilepsy

Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder of the brain marked by a lasting tendency toward recurrent, unprovoked seizures, which are bursts of abnormal electrical activity that can briefly change sensation, movement, behavior, or consciousness. It is one of the most common serious neurological conditions, affecting roughly 2 million people in the United States, and while it can begin at any age, onset is most frequent in childhood and after age 65. The disorder covers a broad range of seizure types, from focal seizures that start in one part of the brain to generalized seizures involving widespread activity, and includes distinct syndromes such as childhood absence epilepsy, juvenile myoclonic epilepsy, temporal lobe epilepsy, and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. Causes differ by age, with genetic and developmental factors more common in the young, tumors more likely after 40, and head trauma or infections possible at any stage. A diagnosis generally requires two or more seizures, and treatment can often reduce or even eliminate them.

Overview

Approximately 2 million people in the United States have epilepsy, a chronic disorder of the brain that causes a tendency to have recurrent seizures. Two or more episodes must occur before a person can receive the diagnosis of epilepsy, also known as a seizure disorder. The onset of epilepsy is most common during childhood and after age 65, but the condition can occur at any age.

The U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) has included Myoclonic epilepsy with ragged-red fibers (MERRF) as a Compassionate Allowance to expedite a disability claim.

Epilepsy is one of the most common of the serious neurological disorders. Genetic, congenital, and developmental conditions are mostly associated with it among younger patients; tumors are more likely over age 40; head trauma and central nervous system infections may occur at any age.

It's not uncommon for children to have a single seizure, and an estimated 5 percent to 10 percent of the population will experience a seizure at some time in their life. Seizures occur when there's a sudden change in how your brain cells communicate through electrical signals.

Seizure types are organized firstly according to whether the source of the seizure within the brain is localized (partial or focal onset seizures) or distributed (generalized seizures). Partial seizures are further divided on the extent to which consciousness is affected.

Epilepsy Seizure Types

• Infantile spasms (West syndrome) - Associated with brain development abnormalities, tuberous sclerosis, and perinatal insults to the brain. It impacts infants, which by definition are between 30 days to 1 year of life.
• Childhood absence epilepsy - Affects children between the ages of 4 and 12 years of age. These patients have recurrent absence seizures that can occur hundreds of times daily.
• Dravet's syndrome - Severe myoclonic epilepsy of infancy (SMEI). This sporadic syndrome is delimitated from benign myoclonic epilepsy by its severity and must be differentiated from the Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Doose's myoclonic-astatic epilepsy.
• Benign focal epilepsies of childhood - The most common syndromes comprising the benign focal epilepsies of childhood include Benign Childhood Epilepsy with Centro-Temporal Spikes (or benign rolandic epilepsy) and Benign Childhood Epilepsy with Occipital Paroxysms.
• Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) - Begins in patients aged 8 to 20 years. These patients have normal IQs and are otherwise neurologically intact. JME is thought to be genetic, though that is not to imply that JME will show in immediate family members.
• Temporal lobe epilepsy - The most common epilepsy of adults. In most cases, the epileptogenic region is found in the mesial temporal structures (e.g., the hippocampus, amygdala, and parahippocampal gyrus). Seizures begin in late childhood and adolescence.
• Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) - Caused by prenatal alcohol exposure and results in central nervous system (CNS) damage.
• Frontal lobe epilepsy
• Lennox-Gastaut syndrome
• Occipital lobe epilepsy

During a seizure, some brain cells send abnormal signals, which stop other cells from working properly. This abnormality may cause temporary changes in sensation, behavior, movement, or consciousness.

How to Help a Person Having an Epileptic fit or Seizure

The response to a generalized tonic-clonic epileptic seizure is to prevent the patient from self-injury by moving them away from sharp edges, placing something soft beneath the head, and carefully rolling the person into the recovery position to avoid asphyxiation.

In some cases, the person may start snoring loudly following a seizure before coming to. This merely indicates that the person is beginning to breathe properly and does not mean they are suffocating.

Should the person regurgitate, the material should be allowed to drip out the side of the person's mouth by itself.

If a seizure lasts longer than 5 minutes, or if the seizures begin coming in 'waves' one after the other - then Emergency Services should be contacted immediately.

Examples of provocants include reading, hot water on the head, hyperventilation, and flashing or flickering lights.

Treatments may be able to leave you free of seizures, or at least reduce their frequency and intensity.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should you not do when someone is having a seizure

Do not restrain the person, put anything in their mouth, or move them unless they are in danger, and instead keep them safe, cushion the head, and time the seizure.

How is epilepsy diagnosed

Doctors usually diagnose epilepsy after two or more unprovoked seizures, using a medical history, physical and neurological exams, and tests such as an EEG and brain imaging.

Can epilepsy be cured

There is no guaranteed cure, but many people become seizure-free or greatly reduce seizures with medication, and some benefit from surgery, dietary therapy, or nerve stimulation.

Can people with epilepsy drive

Driving rules vary by region, but most places require a person to be seizure-free for a set period and medically cleared before they can legally drive.

What triggers epileptic seizures

Common triggers include missed medication, lack of sleep, stress, flashing lights, alcohol, and illness, though triggers differ from person to person.

Is epilepsy hereditary

Some forms of epilepsy have a genetic component and can run in families, while others result from injury, infection, or other causes with no family link.

Can children outgrow epilepsy

Some childhood epilepsy syndromes resolve as the child grows, while other forms continue into adulthood, so ongoing medical follow-up is important.

Curated and edited by Ian C. Langtree, Founder & Editor-in-Chief, Disabled World. This section is maintained by the Disabled World editorial team.

Last updated: 2 Aug 2026