Epilepsy

If the body is an electrical unit, the brain is the epicenter. This epicenter is comprised of vessels which transmit electric waves throughout the entire body. But what happens if one of those vessels misfires? What information gets caught between two different portals? A seizure. The brain will report a current internal imbalance, forcing the body to fall into a seizure. This precise action is the main symptom of epilepsy; a disease which affects 1% of the population (approximately 65 million).

1. The brain is comprised of hundreds of nerve cells which communicate through electrical signals. In order for the brain to properly function, the interplay between the nerve cells must be regulated. The normal function is disturbed, when an abnormal electrical discharge causes an epileptic seizure.

2. Although the epileptic seizures are a direct result of abnormalities in the brain, the brain suffers no actual damage.

3. If an individual is experiencing epileptic seizures, it often originates genetically. In the case of focal epilepsy (meaning that it attacks a specific part of the brain), a brain scan can normally depict the precise cause.

4. When an individual is not experiencing epileptic seizures, there are not definitive symptoms. However, during these seizures, the individual will experience twitching in the muscles, abnormal sensations, or lose of consciousness.

5. Epilepsy is usually treated with prescribed medication, but in severe cases an individual may need surgery.