Brain cells work together, communicating by means of electric signals. A seizure occurs when there is an abnormal electrical discharge from a group of cells. The type of seizure will depend on the part of the brain where the discharge originates. In most cases, epilepsy is not hereditary. While a predisposition to develop the disorder may be hereditary, it can be said that parents do not directly transmit the disorder to their children except in some rare specific syndromes.
Epilepsy can strike anyone at any age.
However, persons who develop seizures during their formative years tend to experience a reduction in the intensity and frequency of their seizures as they grow older. A number of factors are responsible for the lesion in the brain that can lead to epilepsy. Seventy-five percent of the time the exact cause of the damage is unknown. The more severe the injury, the greater the chance of developing epilepsy. Injury, infection, or systemic illness in pregnant women affecting the child's brain.