In more than half of epilepsy cases (60 to 75 percent), no clear known cause can be found.
Some types of epilepsy are associated with genetic factors. Among the rest, anything that affects the way the brain works could increase the chance of developing epilepsy.
Possible causes include:
Head injuries
Stroke
Brain tumors
Birth injury
such as lack of oxygen during birth
Developmental disorder
Genetic conditions
such as tuberous sclerosis
Infections
such as meningitis or encephalitis
Cerebral degenerative disorder
Alcohol and drug abuse
such as tuberous sclerosis
Epilepsy is NOT contagious – you can’t catch it, and you can’t give it to someone else.
Diagnosis
Diagnosing seizures and the type of epilepsy is like putting the pieces of a puzzle together and includes information from many people and different tests.