What is the difference between seizures, epilepsy & seizure disorders?
A seizure is the physical sign that there has been a disruption to the normal functioning of the brain. As discussed, there can be quite a few explanations for why seizures occur. However, if a person is told they have epilepsy it simply means that they have started experiencing seizures on a recurring basis. The seizures in epilepsy may be related to a brain injury or a family tendency, but often the cause is completely unknown. They tend to be unpredictable and occur without provocation. While epilepsy is also known as a seizure disorder, it is not just one disorder. As there are different types of seizures, so too are there different types of epilepsy disorders, called the epilepsies, each with its own particular set of features. When a disorder is defined by a characteristic group of features that usually occur together, it is called a syndrome. Epilepsy syndromes are defined by a cluster of features. These features include: • seizure type/types and their severity and frequency, •
