Did you know that Julius Caesar and Napoleon Bonaparte had epilepsy?

One to 2 percent of all people have epilepsy, a common neurological (brain) disease that causes seizures.

When someone has a seizure, the electrical signals coming from the brain are not normal.
During a seizure, someone may experience:

• Loss of senses, such as hearing, seeing or feeling


• Loss of control of their muscles or bladder

Before a seizure, someone may experience something called an aura -- where they feel dizzy, sick or hear sounds that are warnings a seizure is coming.

• Types of Seizures
• Causes of Seizures
• Seizures and Activities

Types of Seizures

There are many different types of seizures.

Partial Seizures

Partial seizures occur in only part of the brain but can spread.

Simple partial seizures (called Jacksonian or focal seizures) don’t last very long. Someone may hear, smell or visualize something unusual or non-existent and jerk only one part of the body.

Complex partial (psychomotor) seizures affect a person’s awareness. The person may hear or see unreal things or feel like what is happening has already happened before, like an out-of-body experience.

General Seizures

If a seizure occurs on both sides of the brain, it is called a general seizure.

During tonic-clonic (also called grand mal, which means great sickness) seizures, both sides of the brain send out a large number of electrical signals. The person’s body becomes stiff and twitches or jerks.

Absence (petit mal) seizures cause a person to stare or stop moving for about five to 30 seconds. The person may lose senses and be confused afterwards.

During a myoclonic seizure, the part of the brain that controls motion sends electrical signals incorrectly causing a person’s body to jerk.

A person loses control of their muscles and collapses during an atonic seizure.

Status epilepticus, when someone has multiple seizures without waking up between them, is a serious medical emergency.
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Causes of Seizures

Many times, doctors don’t know what causes seizures, but causes may include a head injury, injuries at birth or brain disease.

What to do if someone has a seizure and falls down or shakes:

• Remain calm


• Move any dangerous objects out of the person’s way but try not to touch him or her too much


• Put a soft object under the person’s head


• Turn the person onto one side


• Do not try to open or put something inside the person’s mouth


• Do not try to prevent the person from moving

If someone has a seizure and stares off into space or has repetitive motions such as blinking or chewing:

• Remain calm and reassure people


• Get the person away from anything dangerous


• Try not to grab him or her


• Stay with the person so you can help when the seizure is over

How seizures are controlled:

• There are many medications for people who have seizures but they can have unpleasant side effects.


• There are also special diets for people with epilepsy.
  • An example of a diet for someone with epilepsy is the ketogenic diet, which is low in carbohydrates (sugar and starch), very high in fat (milk, cream, butter and oil) and has a moderate amount of calories.

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Seizures and Activities

People with epilepsy can play most sports, though they sometimes need extra protection, such as a helmet to protect their head from injuries.

Some sports are more dangerous for people with epilepsy. Swimming requires extra supervision because a seizure in the pool could be very dangerous. Climbing, boxing, karate, scuba diving and gymnastics are also dangerous. People with epilepsy should talk to their doctor about diet, medication and safe activities. If someone you know has epilepsy, make sure you know what to do in case of a seizure.
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