Possible Causes of Seizures

Seizures are caused for a variety of reasons including diseases and genetic conditions. The Epilepsy Foundation reports that in the United States alone, over 2 million adults and children have seizures. Each year, approximately 25,000 to 40,000 children experience a seizure for the first time in the United States. Some seizures only occur once in a person's lifetime, while other types of seizures might occur regularly throughout a person's life.

Epilepsy

• Epilepsy is a leading cause for seizures. The seizures can be mild to severe in scope and can potentially disturb or interrupt a person's mental and physical health. The Epilepsy Foundation reports that about 3 percent of Americans will experience a seizure at lease once during their lifetime. Approximately 14 percent of people who have seizures are younger than 15 years of age. Epilepsy occurs when a sudden electrical discharge occurs in the brain's neurons. Some seizures only impact an isolated portion of the brain while other seizures impact the entire brain. If the neurological disturbance is significant, the shock to the brain could spread and disturb a person's ability to speak, move, hear or see. Over a prolonged period, if left untreated, epileptic seizures could also begin to impact a person's mental health.

Stroke

• Elderly people who experience seizures often do so after they have a stroke. This is caused because a blood vessel that sends blood to and from the brain has been blocked. Blood vessel blockage diminishes the brain's ability to receive adequate supplies of oxygen. Over time, this can cause the brain tissue to swell. During this disturbed neurological period, a person can experience a seizure. Typically seizures directly related to a stroke happen weeks or months after the actual stroke has occurred. If brain tissue ceases to be active following a stroke, it can create scar tissue and affect the functioning of the brain's neurons and result in recurring seizures.

Head Injury

• Because seizures are connected to the functioning of neurons in the brain, a head injury can suddenly and directly impact a person's neurological condition. Neurons work like messengers that send and receive messages and impulses from the body to the brain. If enough force is applied to the brain during a head injury, the impact could disrupt or disturb the brain's neurons, which could cause the brain to generate an overflow of electrical signals. If the irritated signals gain strength a person could experience a seizure. Depending on the side of the brain the head injury occurred on, a person might experience tingling, convulsing or numbing sensations more on that side of the body. Traumatic head injuries can also lead to unconsciousness and long-term brain malfunctioning.

High Fever

• A common reason that seizures occur in children 4 years old or younger is an elevated fever. Referred to as febrile seizures, the brain disturbance generally happens after a child's temperature goes above 102 degrees Fahrenheit quickly and suddenly. If the fever and seizure are not due to a serious existing medical condition, the seizure will likely not reoccur. To reduce the occurrences of elevated fever and seizures in children and adults, treat infections as soon as they manifest and avoid putting on too many clothes especially on children. Over dressing can disturb the functioning of the body's natural temperature regulation.

Considerations

• To alert health care officials and area residents to the possibility that you could experience a seizure, wear a bracelet or carry some type of identification that alerts people to the condition. The more health care officials know about your condition, the sooner they can begin to provide accurate treatments as well as avoid administering therapies that might make the condition worse.