After a careful evaluation to estimate the risk of recurrence, patients who suffer a single seizure may not need treatment. Seizure disorder is a general term used to describe any condition in which seizures may be a symptom. In fact, seizure disorder is so general that it is not a useful term. In the United States, about 2 million people have epilepsy. Epilepsy occurs when a portion of the brain becomes damaged, either before birth or afterward through accident or illness.
Brain cells communicate by sending electrical signals in an orderly pattern.
Classifying the type of seizure helps physicians diagnose whether or not a patient has epilepsy. The part of the brain generating the seizures is sometimes called the focus. There are six types of generalized seizures. The most common and dramatic, and therefore the most well known, is the generalized convulsion , also called the grand-mal seizure . In this type of seizure, the patient loses consciousness and usually collapses.