Epilepsy Talk
Which of these is the cause of your epilepsy? | July 1, 2023
In some 6 out of 10 cases, epilepsy is idiopathic — meaning the cause is unknown. In other cases, epilepsy can be traced to an abnormality of the structure or function of the brain.
These abnormalities can arise from traumatic brain injuries, strokes and other vascular problems, infections of the nervous system (meningitis or encephalitis), congenital malformations, brain tumors or metabolic abnormalities.
Seizures can literally begin at any time for any number of reasons.
Here are just a few of them.
Which pertain to you?
Age. The onset of epilepsy is most common in children and older adults, but the condition can occur at any age.
Prenatal injury. Before birth, babies are sensitive to brain damage that could be caused by several factors, such as an infection in the mother, poor nutrition or oxygen deficiencies. This brain damage can result in epilepsy or cerebral palsy.
Genetic influence. Some types of epilepsy, which are categorized by the type of seizure you experience or the part of the brain that is affected, run in families. In these cases, it’s likely that there’s a genetic influence. Researchers have linked some types of epilepsy to specific genes, but for most people, genes are only part of the cause of epilepsy. Certain genes may make a person more sensitive to environmental conditions that trigger seizures.
Seizures in childhood. High fevers in childhood can sometimes be associated with seizures. Children who have seizures due to high fevers generally won’t develop epilepsy. The risk of epilepsy increases if a child has a long fever-associated seizure, another nervous system condition or a family history of epilepsy.
Developmental disorders. Birth abnormalities affecting the brain are a frequent cause of epilepsy, particularly in people whose seizures aren’t controlled with anti-seizure medications. Some birth abnormalities known to cause epilepsy include focal cortical dysplasia, polymicrogyria and tuberous sclerosis. Epilepsy can also be associated with developmental disorders such as autism.
Brain conditions. Most cases of epilepsy in people older than 35 happen because of brain damage from a stroke or even after brain surgery. Other brain problems that can trigger epilepsy include: Tumor, blood vessel problems, like the hardening of your brain’s arteries, stroke and Alzheimer’s disease.
Brain infections. Infections such as meningitis, which causes inflammation in your brain or spinal cord, can increase your risk, along with HIV, viral encephalitis and some parasitic infections.
Immune disorders. Conditions that cause your immune system to attack brain cells (also called autoimmune diseases) can lead to epilepsy.
Head or brain trauma. Either can trigger seizures. Sometimes they go away. If they do, you don’t have epilepsy. However, if they continue, that’s a sign that you have post-traumatic epilepsy, or PTE. It can also happen during birth. You may not get epilepsy until long after your brain injury — sometimes years later.
Stroke and other vascular diseases. Stroke and other blood vessel (vascular) diseases can lead to brain damage that may trigger epilepsy. You can take a number of steps to reduce your risk of these diseases, including limiting your intake of alcohol and avoiding cigarettes, eating a healthy diet, and exercising regularly.
Metabolic causes. Your body contains enzymes that are responsible for processing the food you eat. If there is a problem in one of these enzymes, this can lead to issues breaking down food or making the energy your body needs to function.
Dementia. Dementia can increase the risk of epilepsy in older adults.
To subscribe to Epilepsy Talk, simply go to the bottom box of the right column, enter your email address and click on “Follow.”
Resources:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/epilepsy/symptoms-causes/syc-20350093
https://www.epilepsy.com/causes
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/17636-epilepsy#symptoms-and-causes
https://www.webmd.com/epilepsy/guide/epilepsy-causes#091e9c5e8000613f-1-3
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/epilepsy/epilepsy-causes
16 Comments »
Leave a comment
About the author
Epilepsy Talk 
My seizures where caused by 104 fever my parents rushed me to the hospital cause nothing they did worked to get the temperature down. After my hospital stay I developed seizures. I am so glad my parent lived long enoff to see me beat the epilepsy. They got to spend 12 years with me after my surgery without seizures or meds.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Comment by Mark D Geist — July 1, 2023 @ 11:31 AM
How fabulous, and fulfilling, for all of you. I’m glad your story has a happy ending.
LikeLike
Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — July 1, 2023 @ 11:33 AM
My epilepsy started after my first cranitotomy for my first brain tumor, affecting the temporal and parietal lobes. Although I currently take three AEDs, my epileptologist says my epilepsy is refractory, because I have too much scar tissue. I now have a third brain tumor and am preparing for my fourth surgery (the second craniotomy was for osteomyelitis, infection of bone tissue in the cranium).
LikeLiked by 1 person
Comment by qmfub — July 1, 2023 @ 11:40 AM
My heart goes out to you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — July 1, 2023 @ 11:41 AM
SLEEP APNEIA can also cause Dementia. My mother, sister & brother-inlaw, all 3 have sleep apneia, but you never tell them that you are seeing any sign of 1 of them ever having dementia. It’s nothing to see when you especially have lived with seizures all your life, but yet it’s YOU & YOU know nothing and get ignored no matter what. Besides sleep apneia, my mother has many other conditions, and all can be linked with having sleep apneia because the brain never gets the brain cells repaired & renewed from normal sleep time & quality sleep. Now my mother is getting tingling feelings in her head, and to me that is not good, but so far in 2023 she has not gone to the ER & been admitted to the hospital. So WHAT does that have to do with seizures & causes from everything that starts seizures ? It’s just me, who believes in God & that is bad to most people of this world today. At least my mother & I both know where our next home will be, just do not know WHEN as it could be today, as I HOPE it is like NOW.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Comment by James D — July 1, 2023 @ 11:51 AM
Fabulous news that your mom has avoided the ER this year. Does it have anything to do with the eased stress of your seizures.
Can we thank Xcopri?
LikeLike
Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — July 1, 2023 @ 11:56 AM
My daughter has seizures as a symptom of ring chromosome 20 disorder. No effective treatment sadly. 💜
LikeLiked by 1 person
Comment by Yvonne Goodson — July 1, 2023 @ 12:03 PM
It must be incredibly frustrating.
LikeLike
Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — July 1, 2023 @ 1:47 PM
That there is damage to my temporal lobe with no corresponding skull scarring is a medical fact. The damage can cause hallucinations (among other things) which are my version of seizures – also verified.
I’m guessing our mother was given DES (diethylstilbestrol) to prevent miscarriage while she was pregnant. This widely-prescribed drug – which does not prevent miscarriage – caused a variety of birth defects in the children of women who took it. One of those is temporal lobe damage.
There is no way to verify DES as the source of my condition, the principals having died and the hospital long gone, but it’s a good bet.
The drug is no longer on the market for miscarriage in America. Just recently an apology – the first anywhere – was forthcoming in Scotland to affected offspring, some of whom have truly horrific and fatal birth defects.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Comment by HoDo — July 1, 2023 @ 4:23 PM
I know some people who wear their hearts on their shrunken sleeves. And those are the “lucky” ones.
DES was a cruel experiment on the living and the not-yet-born. Which is worse, I cannot say.
LikeLike
Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — July 1, 2023 @ 7:35 PM
Had severe arthritis in neck and shoulders since I was a kid, no one would listen, but finally got it diagnosed year or two ago, there’s no cartilage, bone spurs, pinched nerves, reading more about it seems it can be like an injury causing epilepsy, but it’s just another “idea” that’ll never be listened to by my useless neuros
LikeLiked by 1 person
Comment by Gail Barry — July 2, 2023 @ 5:39 AM
‘Peripheral neuropathy and inflammatory reactions of the central nervous system may accompany rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
Inflammatory processes play a critical role in epilepsy.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4616629/
LikeLike
Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — July 2, 2023 @ 10:22 AM
Brain hemorrhage (subdural hematoma) at age 50; seizures started at age 63. I am now age 71 with occasional breakthroughs.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Comment by Kurt Daub — July 2, 2023 @ 3:29 PM
What happened to change things between 63 and 71?
LikeLike
Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — July 2, 2023 @ 4:37 PM
A 105 fever led to seizures. An almost fatal accident led to surgery and the surgery led to knowing the fever was the cause and total control of seizures.
So follow the leader! 😁
LikeLiked by 1 person
Comment by Ed Lugge — July 2, 2023 @ 5:33 PM
Sounds like a bad story with a happy ending. Hooray!
LikeLike
Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — July 2, 2023 @ 8:47 PM