Epilepsy is a disorder of the brain. In people with epilepsy, nerve cells in the brain called neurons (which control glands, muscles, thoughts, and feelings) sometimes signal abnormally. When this happens, it is called a seizure. Epilepsy is not a mental illness or a sign of a low IQ. It is also not contagious and, therefore, cannot be transmitted from one person to another.

How seizures happen

Seizures occur when neurons fire more rapidly than normal, causing different sensations, emotions, and behaviors. Many experts describe seizures as "electrical disorders" in the brain. Some seizures lead to convulsions and may cause uncontrolled "jerking" movements. Other seizures may look like the person is blanking out, having a staring spell, or even a series of muscle spasms. Epilepsy means that a person had seizures more than one time. Many people with epilepsy first get seizures in infancy and childhood.

More common than you think

Today, we know that people of all ages, races, and ethnic backgrounds are living with epilepsy. In fact, there are approximately 2.7 million Americans with epilepsy. Every year, nearly 180,000 new cases of epilepsy and seizures are diagnosed.

How you get epilepsy

Many factors have been identified as potential causes of epilepsy and may include: genetic factors, head injury or prenatal injury. About half of all seizures have no known cause. Two-thirds of adults who have a seizure never experience another one. However, some may develop repeated seizures, a condition called epilepsy. The occurrence of a single seizure does not necessarily mean that a person has epilepsy.