Epilepsy Resources

Causes of Epilepsy

What causes epilepsy? Unfortunately, the cause is unknown for about half of everyone with epilepsy. Some people with no clear cause of epilepsy may have a genetic cause. However, other common causes include:

• Brain trauma/head injury
• Brain lesions/tumors
• Poisoning (e.g. lead)
• Infections of the brain (e.g. meningitis, encephalitis, measles)
• Brain injury at birth
• Abnormal brain development

For those that do have epilepsy, there are some common factors that can trigger seizures. These include:

• Missed or late medication (#1 reason)
• Stress/anxiety
• Lack of sleep/fatigue
• Hormonal changes
• Illness
• Flashing lights (e.g. fire alarm strobe lights, video games)
• Hyperventilation
• Alcohol or drug use
• Drug interactions (from prescribed or over-the-counter medicines)
• Overheating/overexertion
• Poor diet/missed meals

However, in many cases there is no identifiable trigger or precipitating factor.