page_title: Epilepsy
section_title: Signs and symptoms
hierarchical_section_title: Epilepsy / Signs and symptoms
caption_attribution_description: English: A tongue bite following a seizure
context_page_description: Epilepsy is a group of neurological disorders characterized by recurrent epileptic seizures. Epileptic seizures are episodes that can vary from brief and nearly undetectable periods to long periods of vigorous shaking. These episodes can result in physical injuries, including occasionally broken bones. In epilepsy, seizures have a tendency to recur and, as a rule, have no immediate underlying cause. Isolated seizures that are provoked by a specific cause such as poisoning are not deemed to represent epilepsy. People with epilepsy may be treated differently in various areas of the world and experience varying degrees of social stigma due to their condition.
  The underlying mechanism of epileptic seizures is excessive and abnormal neuronal activity in the cortex of the brain. The reason this occurs in most cases of epilepsy is unknown. Some cases occur as the result of brain injury, stroke, brain tumors, infections of the brain, or birth defects through a process known as epileptogenesis. Known genetic mutations are directly linked to a small proportion of cases.
context_section_description: Epilepsy is characterized by a long-term risk of recurrent seizures. These seizures may present in several ways depending on the part of the brain involved and the person's age.
caption: A bite to the tip of the tongue due to a seizure
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