Seizures are characterized by a sudden change in movement, behavior, sensation or consciousness produced by an abnormal electrical discharge in the brain.
Epilepsy is a condition of spontaneously recurring seizures.
In about half of the cases, no one knows the cause. In the remainder, there has been evidence that a portion of the brain has been injured by infection, severe trauma, stroke, tumor, lack of oxygen, or some other cause. In some people, epilepsy is a chronic condition with seizures recurring at unpredictable times over many years. In others, epilepsy can be controlled completely. Some patients, especially children, can even outgrow epilepsy.