You may have to return to the clinic a week or two later for the results. Mal epilepsy is quite an old fashioned term. The condition is now known as Absence seizures, which neatly describes the momentary lapse in awareness that occurs during an episode. This can happen many times a day, and is caused by a brief disruption of the electrical activity in the brain. It often looks a bit like daydreaming, which can mean that it has been happening for a long time before anyone realises what is going on.
Absence seizures are particularly common in children and teenagers, especially in girls.
The good news is that most people seem to grow out of them, and are able to stop taking medication as they get older. For more information on epilepsy, see the BBC Health Guide to Epilepsy , or have a go at our epilepsy quiz. Visit our extensive Ask the Doctor library of all previously asked questions and answers covering a wide range of topics. Full A to Z listing Category listing Keyword Search using the box on the right . The BBC is not liable for the contents of any external internet sites listed, nor does it endorse any commercial product or service mentioned or advised on any of the sites.