Epilepsy is a disorder of the brain that can cause convulsions, sensory disturbances, or losses of consciousness known as seizures. In a person who has epilepsy, clusters of nerve cells (or neurons) in the brain sometimes signal abnormally -- which causes a sudden, brief change in the way the brain works. But did you know that in roughly half of all cases of epilepsy, the cause of the disorder is unknown?
Welcome to the Epilepsy Health Channel by eMedTV. We hope that you will find this channel to be a useful resource on epilepsy symptoms, types, diagnosis, prevention, and more. Whether you are about to go in for an epilepsy evaluation and would like some idea of the tests your healthcare provider will perform, or have been living with the disorder for years and are curious about the latest epilepsy research advances, you will find the information you need here. On this channel, you will find detailed information on treatment options for epilepsy, the benefits and risks of epilepsy surgery, and the link between epilepsy and genetic factors -- as well as some important considerations that people with epilepsy should take into account before getting behind the wheel of a car.
You can begin your eMedTV epilepsy experience by clicking on any of the featured epilepsy links on this page. You can also begin by clicking on the health topics listed to the left or by using the search box at the top of the page.