In about 70 percent of cases there is no known cause. The more severe the injury, the greater the risk of developing epilepsy. Brain tumor and stroke Poisoning , such as lead or alcohol poisoning. More than 5,000 persons each year are reported to suffer seizures caused by alcoholism. Maternal injury , infection or systemic illness affecting the developing brain of the fetus during pregnancy.
Epilepsy primarily affects children and young adults, although anyone can get epilepsy at anytime.
However, epilepsy is also increasingly associated with the elderly, and there are as many cases in those 60 years of age and older as in children 10 years of age and under. Heredity usually is not a direct factor in epilepsy. But some kinds of brain wave patterns associated with seizures do tend to run in families. Physical Exam and Lab Tests - a complete physical is done to determine whether the seizures are caused by an specific physical or metabolic problems. Neurological Exam - this includes a thorough study of the nervous system.