Do seizures ever go away?

While many forms of epilepsy require lifelong treatment to control the seizures, for some people the seizures eventually go away. The odds of becoming seizure-free are not as good for adults or for children with severe epilepsy syndromes, but it is possible that seizures may decrease or even stop over time.

Can seizures be cured permanently?

There's currently no cure for epilepsy, but it can be managed with medications and other strategies.

Do you ever outgrow seizures?

About epilepsy in children

Epilepsy can begin at any time of life, but it's most commonly diagnosed in children, and people over the age of 65. Some children with epilepsy will outgrow their seizures as they mature, while others may have seizures that continue into adulthood.

Is a seizure permanent?

Many people who had an unprovoked seizure will never have another for the rest of their lives. For those who do have a second seizure, epilepsy is a life-long condition because it's not curable. However, it's possible for this condition to go into remission and for seizures to stop happening.

Are the effects of a seizure permanent?

Usually, a seizure does not cause any lasting damage to the brain. However, having many seizures, or having seizures that are particularly severe, may cause a person to become more forgetful or find it difficult to concentrate.

A patient's experience with epilepsy

Do seizures go away with age?

Some people require lifelong treatment to control seizures, but for others, the seizures eventually go away. Some children with epilepsy may outgrow the condition with age.

Do seizures get worse with age?

The incidence of any type of seizure increases substantially over the age of 60, commonly due to other neurological conditions such as dementia or stroke.

Can brain damage from seizures be reversed?

Most often it is not possible to reverse the damage caused to brain tissue by trauma but receiving prompt medical care may make it possible for medical providers to stabilize a person's brain injury and help to prevent further injury.

Can you recover from seizure disorder?

About 6 out of 10 people diagnosed with epilepsy can become seizure free within a few years with proper treatment. Many of these people will never have any more seizures. For the rest of the people, some will have occasional breakthrough seizures or side effects of medicines and others will have uncontrolled seizures.

What can trigger a seizure?

At what age do seizures begin?

Absence seizures almost always start between ages 4 to 12. Atonic seizure. This is also called a drop attack. With an atonic seizure, your child has a sudden loss of muscle tone and may fall from a standing position or suddenly drop his or her head.

How likely is it to have another seizure?

The chance of another seizure can range from 16% to 61%, depending on the circumstances surrounding the seizure and results of a neurological exam or other tests.

At what age does epilepsy usually start?

Seizures are bursts of electrical activity in the brain that temporarily affect how it works. They can cause a wide range of symptoms. Epilepsy can start at any age, but usually starts either in childhood or in people over 60. It's often lifelong, but can sometimes get slowly better over time.

Can seizures cause brain damage?

Most types of seizures do not cause damage to the brain. However, having a prolonged, uncontrolled seizure can cause harm. Because of this, treat any seizure lasting over 5 minutes as a medical emergency.

What causes seizures in adults out of nowhere?

Anything that interrupts the normal connections between nerve cells in the brain can cause a seizure. This includes a high fever, high or low blood sugar, alcohol or drug withdrawal, or a brain concussion. But when a person has 2 or more seizures with no known cause, this is diagnosed as epilepsy.

Is exercise good for seizures?

Exercise helps people to stay fit and healthy. If you have epilepsy, this may help to reduce the number of seizures you have. Exercise can also improve mood and relieve stress. As stress is a common trigger for seizures, exercise may help to prevent seizures for some people.

How long does it take to fully recover from a seizure?

Some people recover immediately while others may take minutes to hours to feel like their usual self. The type of seizure, as well as what part of the brain the seizure impacts, affects the recovery period – how long it may last and what may occur during it.

Can stress cause seizures?

Emotional stress also can lead to seizures. Emotional stress is usually related to a situation or event that has personal meaning to you. It may be a situation in which you feel a loss of control. In particular, the kind of emotional stress that leads to most seizures is worry or fear.

What happens to your brain when you have a seizure?

During a seizure, there is a sudden intense burst of electricity that disrupts how the brain usually works. This activity can happen on one small part of the brain and last for just a couple of seconds, or it can spread right across the brain and keep going for many minutes.

Do seizures destroy brain cells?

Seizures are caused by a sudden surge of abnormal electrical activity in the brain that can affect the way a person appears or acts for a short time. Seizures (both repetitive and brief seizures) can kill brain cells (neurons).

Can a seizure change your personality?

Importance of Mood Disorders

Mood disorders in people with epilepsy are very important and can greatly impact a person's daily activities and quality of life. These feelings may be present most of the time, or appear just before, during, or after a seizure. Some people become depressed, others may be irritable.

Can seizures lead to dementia?

People with epilepsy develop Alzheimer's disease at a rate 6 times higher than the non-epileptic population, and seizures can damage the memory centers of the brain and contribute to dementia.

What foods should epileptics avoid?

white bread; non-wholegrain cereals; biscuits and cakes; honey; high-sugar drinks and foods; fruit juices; chips; mashed potatoes; parsnips; dates and watermelon. In general, processed or overcooked foods and over-ripe fruits.

What is the life expectancy of a person with epilepsy?

Reduction in life expectancy can be up to 2 years for people with a diagnosis of idiopathic/cryptogenic epilepsy, and the reduction can be up to 10 years in people with symptomatic epilepsy. Reductions in life expectancy are highest at the time of diagnosis and diminish with time.

What happens if seizures go untreated?

If seizures can't be stopped or repeated seizures occur one right after another, permanent injury or death can occur. People with epilepsy can also die from problems that occur during or after a seizure, such as inhaling vomit.