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Epilepsy is a common neurological condition that causes recurring seizures. It can have many different causes and affects people in different ways, depending on the type and location of seizures. No two experiences with epilepsy are exactly alike.

As a Level 4 Epilepsy Center, certified by the National Association of Epilepsy Centers, Massachusetts General Hospital provides the highest level of epilepsy care available. Our team provides advanced neurodiagnostic monitoring, along with comprehensive medical, neuropsychological, and psychosocial treatment for even the most complex cases. We also offer full evaluations for epilepsy surgery, including intracranial monitoring and specialized surgical procedures that are not widely available at other institutions.

What Is Epilepsy?

Epilepsy is a neurological condition affecting the brain. People with epilepsy experience recurring seizures due to abnormal electrical activity in the brain. Epilepsy provokes different kinds of seizures depending on where in the brain that activity begins.

Many things can cause seizures, and not everyone who has a seizure has epilepsy. To be diagnosed with epilepsy, a person usually must have at least two unprovoked seizures more than 24 hours apart.

Epilepsy Symptoms

Epilepsy, sometimes called seizure disorder, can cause many different types of seizures. The symptoms depend on where the abnormal electrical activity starts in the brain and how it spreads. Each type of seizure brings its own set of signs and affects awareness in different ways.

When many people think of seizures, they think of involuntary twitching or jerking movements. However, there are many types of seizures that cause a wide variety of symptoms. Because the brain controls everything from movement to sensation to emotion, seizures can affect nearly any part of the body or mind.

What Causes Seizures?

Seizures are caused by sudden surges of electrical activity in the brain. These surges interrupt the normal electrical functioning of your brain, causing it to send inappropriate signals to the rest of the body. These misfires are what lead to the symptoms of seizures.

Seizure symptoms

Doctors classify seizures in several ways, including where in the brain they start, how much awareness a person has during the episode, and what parts of the body or mind are affected. As a result, there are many types of seizure, but most involve some combination of the following seizure symptoms:

  • Changes in senses or perception
  • Hallucinations (seeing, hearing, or smelling things that aren’t there)
  • Loss of consciousness
  • Loss of awareness without full unconsciousness
  • Uncontrolled movements, such as shaking or jerking of the limbs
  • Repetitive movements, like lip smacking or hand rubbing
  • Muscle stiffness
  • Muscles suddenly relaxing, often leading to a fall or loss of control
  • Behavioral or psychological changes during the seizure

Most people with epilepsy experience only one or two types of seizures, even if they have them frequently. In more complex cases, a person may experience multiple types of seizures.

What are the symptoms of temporal lobe epilepsy?

Temporal lobe epilepsy means that seizures are happening in the temporal lobe, which are the areas on the right and left sides of the brain. They help control memory, emotion, and how you process sensory information.

A temporal lobe seizure often begin with unusual sensations like a sudden strange taste or smell, sudden feelings of fear or joy, and a fluttering feeling in your stomach.

As the seizure progresses, you may:

  • Lose awareness even if you remain conscious
  • Stare into space
  • Perform repeated motions, such as smacking your lips, chewing, or picking with your fingers

Warning Signs of a Seizure

Not everyone gets warning signs before a seizure. However, some people experience auras. Although auras are technically a type of seizure themselves, they often act as a signal that a more noticeable seizure may follow.

Common aura epilepsy symptoms include:

  • A feeling of déjà vu
  • Unexpected sensory experiences, like smell, taste, or visual hallucinations
  • Sudden feelings of fear or joy
  • A rising sensation in the stomach
  • A wave-like feeling in the head
  • Stiffness, twitching, numbness, or tingling

How Does Epilepsy Affect a Person?

Epilepsy itself doesn’t usually cause long-term damage — most seizures do not harm the brain.

However, the unpredictability of epilepsy can make many aspects of daily life more difficult.

For example, some people with uncontrolled epilepsy may not be able to drive. Everyday activities like swimming or biking may require extra planning or supervision to ensure safety.

Additionally, mood disorders such as depression and anxiety are more common among people with epilepsy. People with epilepsy may need to take extra care of their mental and emotional health

What Causes Epilepsy?

Often, the cause of epilepsy is unknown (idiopathic). In other cases, doctors can identify a cause, such as a head injury, abnormalities in brain structure or development, genetics, or an infection that affects the brain.

What causes seizures?

Seizures happen when there is a sudden surge of electrical activity in the brain.

The brain normally uses electrical signals to control everything from movement and speech to sensation and behavior. When you have a seizure, this electrical activity becomes unusually strong or chaotic, disrupting how the brain sends messages. When that happens, you experience a seizure related to the part of the brain where the surge occurred.

Can you suddenly develop epilepsy?

Yes, it's possible to develop epilepsy at any age, though it's more commonly diagnosed in young children and older adults.

Treating Epilepsy

Most people with epilepsy can manage their condition with anti-seizure medications, and in some cases, seizures may stop over time without treatment. For others, a specialized diet, such as a ketogenic diet, can help reduce seizure activity.

If medications and other conservative treatments aren’t effective, surgery may be an option. Your doctor will help you find the appropriate epilepsy treatment based on the kind of seizures you have, what's causing them, and how much your epilepsy symptoms disrupt your life.

Learn more about epilepsy treatments

FAQs About Epilepsy Symptoms and Causes

Does epilepsy cause brain damage?

Most seizures don't cause lasting damage. However, recurrent, uncontrolled seizures that last a long time can sometimes harm brain cells over time.

Does epilepsy cause memory loss?

Epilepsy can affect memory, but not always. It's normal not to have any memory of a seizure because the brain is unable to store information during the event. If you have frequent seizures, it can disrupt your memory even more.

Some memory issues may be caused by factors related to epilepsy, such as medication side effects or mood disorders like depression and anxiety, which can also affect concentration and recall.

What causes epilepsy in children?

The most common causes of epilepsy in children vary by the age of the child when they develop the condition:

  • Newborns: May develop epilepsy due to congenital brain malformations, metabolic conditions, lack of oxygen at birth, or exposure to drugs or alcohol in the womb.
  • Babies and young children: Often triggered by infections, high fevers, or brain tumors.
  • Children: May develop epilepsy due to injuries, genetic factors, or as a secondary effect of brain diseases or other congenital conditions.

The Pediatric Epilepsy Program at Mass General for Children provides comprehensive care for children with epilepsy, including surgical evaluation and wellness support.

Can epilepsy go away?

For some people, epilepsy goes away on its own. Others may need treatment for their whole life. Your doctor can help you understand what to expect based on your individual condition.

Can a person with epilepsy lead a normal life?

Many people with epilepsy live full, active lives, especially when their seizures are well controlled with medication. However, severe or treatment-resistant epilepsy can impact daily activities, employment, and independence.

Some people with uncontrolled seizures may face restrictions on driving or need to avoid activities that could be dangerous during a seizure, such as swimming or operating machinery.

Can you feel epilepsy coming?

Some people experience auras, which are often described as warning signs before a seizure. Auras are actually mild seizures themselves and may include sudden emotional shifts, hallucinations, unexpected sensations in the head and stomach, or twitching and jerking movements.

What is the most common trigger of epilepsy?

Each patient is unique. If you have recurrent seizures, pay attention to what happened in the hours leading up to it. Keeping a journal or log of your seizures and other events during the day can help you identify any potential triggers for you, making it easier to manage your condition.

Common seizure triggers include:

  • Stress
  • Illness
  • Sleep disturbance
  • Bright, flashing lights like strobe effects
  • Drug use
  • Low blood sugar
What is the main cause of epilepsy?

The most common form of epilepsy is idiopathic epilepsy, which means the cause is unknown.

What to Do If Someone Is Having a Seizure

Learn the right steps to help keep someone safe and comfortable during and after a seizure.