About Epilepsy

Over 3 million people are living with seizures and epilepsy in the U.S, and about 200,000 new cases are diagnosed annually in the US. While many people with epilepsy gain partial or complete control of their seizures, others still continue to have frequent seizures despite taking anti- epileptic medication. You should always talk to your doctor about any questions regarding epilepsy and seizures.

Partial Seizures

Most people with epilepsy have partial-onset seizures, which usually last for less than 2 minutes and end on their own. They are caused by unusual electrical activity in one part of the brain. Partial seizures can affect the way you move, what you feel, how alert you are, whether you can communicate with other people, and what you hear, see, or smell. They can be different for each person.

There are two types of partial seizures:

  • Simple partial seizures in which you are conscious (able to respond and remember).
  • Complex partial seizures in which you may lose consciousness or may not be fully aware of what is happening around you during the seizure. This may include some memory loss after the seizure.

Simple partial seizures

During a simple partial seizure, you will be alert and remember what happens but will feel or sense unusual and sometimes scary things. You may:

  • Have sudden and unexplainable feelings of joy, anger, sadness, or nausea
  • Hear, smell, see, taste, or feel things that are not real
  • Make sudden sharp movements, like finger jerking
  • Be stiff

You might talk normally to other people during the seizure, or not be able to speak or move at all.

Simple partial seizures usually last less than 2 minutes. They end on their own.

Complex partial seizures

During a complex partial seizure, you will be in a dream like state or lose consciousness. Your eyes will stay open. If the symptoms are mild, other people may think that you are daydreaming.

You might repeat certain movements (called 'automatisms'), like:

  • Blinking
  • Picking at clothing
  • Twitching
  • Chewing
  • Walking in a circle

You might also:

  • Repeat words or phrases
  • Laugh, scream or cry

Some people may feel an aura – unusual sensations that warn them that a seizure is coming. Seizure auras are simple partial seizures that often cause numbness, nausea, or unusual sensitivity to light, odor, or sound.

Complex partial seizures usually last between 30 seconds and 3 minutes. They end on their own. Afterward, you may be tired or confused for a while and may not feel fully ‘normal’ for hours.

Secondarily generalized seizures

Sometimes, complex partial seizures can spread to the whole brain. The seizure is then called "secondarily generalized seizures." Sometimes these seizures have been called "grand mal" or "tonic clonic" (though there are other types of seizures that can look like this, too).

Secondarily generalized seizures start the same way as simple partial or complex partial seizures, but the person having the seizure stiffens all over and starts shaking all 4 limbs. Sometimes the person may bite their tongue or lose control of their urine.

Available Treatments for Epilepsy

Prescription medications

While antiepileptic medications control seizures in many people with epilepsy, about 1 in 3 people taking antiepileptic medications still have seizures. There are many antiepileptic medications but each medication works differently in different people. Your doctor may have prescribed different medications to try and find the medication or combination of medications that is right for you.

Other Approaches

Other treatments for epilepsy include vagus nerve stimulation (VNS)* or surgery

*A device that controls seizures by sending regular, mild pulses of electrical energy to the brain through the vagus nerve.

Clinical Research

Clinical trials allow doctors to study the effectiveness of new investigational medications, and closely monitor side effects. Taking part in a clinical trial can give people with epilepsy an opportunity to become more empowered by being more informed about their epilepsy, and becoming a part of an important study community. If you have uncontrolled partial-onset seizures, learning more about your epilepsy through keeping a daily seizure diary, is an important step toward seizure management. The information collected with the support of a team of medical specialists can enable people with epilepsy to have greater knowledge about their health and their treatment options.

A clinical research study (also called a clinical trial) is another treatment option. In a clinical research study people volunteer to help doctors find new ways to treat their illness and those of other people. Researchers conduct epilepsy treatment studies to find out whether new approaches to treatment are safe and effective.

Be Empowered

You can live with epilepsy. Being positive – thinking about what you can do instead of what you can't do - is important. Take control by learning more about epilepsy and the various treatment options for it.