Epilepsy in adults

Epilepsy is not one disease, but a number of different diseases, which have a common tendency to cause epileptic seizures without any specific exposing factors. An epileptic seizure is caused by a sudden, transient electrical disturbance in the cortex of the brain. The location of the disturbance determines what the symptoms of the seizure are like.  

You can be diagnosed with epilepsy at any age, and every year approximately 3,000 patients start taking antiepileptic medication. Epilepsy affects about 1% of the population.

In the vast majority of patients, epilepsy is manageable with the right kind of medication. Approximately one in four people with epilepsy have a form of the disease which is difficult to treat. In addition to seizures, epilepsy can be associated with neurological, mental, psychological, and social issues regarding functional capacity. Some of the epilepsy diseases are among orphan diseases.

If epilepsy is suspected in a patient, they are referred for specialist medical care in neurology for examinations and treatment. Epilepsy is treated with drug therapy, the goal of which is to completely eliminate seizures. In adults with severe epilepsy, multidrug therapy may be required and, if necessary, surgery, stimulator therapy or dietary therapy will be considered as other treatment options.