Quality of life in epileptic children.

Epilepsy is characterized by repeated seizures that may occur as often as several times a day or as infrequently as once every few months. Normally millions of tiny electrical charges pass between nerve cells in the brain and throughout the body to control the body’s many functions. Epileptic seizures are caused by unusual and strong bursts of electrical energy in the brain. Seizures may occur at any age from birth onwards. One in 200 school-age children has epilepsy and 10 percent are severely affected. Most seizures occur suddenly but possible triggers include stress patterns of light (about 5 percent are sensitive to flickering light such as on TV) illness (especially fever) and lack of sleep. Because epilepsy may affect any part of the brain symptoms vary. Tonic-clonic seizures are most common in children and they begin with unusual or irritable behaviour. Then the muscles suddenly contract in a spasm forcing air out of the lungs and stiffening the body which then jerks uncontrollably. The person may let out a cry as they fall down unconscious. (excerpt)