Epilepsy refers to a disabling neurologic condition which is one of the most common conditions in the modern world. In order to understand this condition, one must first understand what a seizure is. A seizure can be defined as the resultant paroxysmal alteration effected by hypersynchronous and excessive discharge of neurons in certain parts of the brain. This alteration is usually an alteration of the neurologic function (Stafstrom & Carmant, 2015). This usually happens in two distinct ways: The first refers to the alteration from abnormal firing of the neurons; the second refers to that which is caused by a non-epileptic event. This is what distinguishes epileptic seizures. Epilepsy, thereof, is the condition that refers to unprovoked and recurrent seizures. Notably, not all persons who suffer from a seizure have epilepsy.

The brain is made up of billions of nerve cells, also referred to as neurons. These nerve cells produce and receive electric impulses from various other parts of the nervous system. Communication from one neuron to the other usually occurs through these electric impulses. The excessive or abnormal activity caused by a seizure disrupts these communications.

In many occasions, the causes of seizures are unknown. However, seizures may happen after strokes, closed injuries to the head, certain infections, for instance meningitis or some other illnesses (Schachter, 2019). Non- epileptic seizures can also be caused by other factors such as low levels of sugar in the blood, fainting spells and even anxiety attacks. In some cases, seizures are also referred to as convulsions. This is because when seizures occur, the person uncontrollable shakes in rapid and rhythmic convulsions of the muscles: the muscles contract and relax repeatedly.

Historically, epilepsy was thought to originate from demons, divine circumstances or spirits. This has been the belief in many cultures. It is only until the 400 BC that the Greek physician Hippocrates considered an occurrence of epilepsy as a medical issue. However, Hippocrates still believed that this medical condition was effected by humour imbalance; four, to be more precise. These humours comprised of the blood, the yellow bile, the black bile and the phlegm. John Hughlings, an English doctor, was the next person to believe that epilepsy is a medical condition. This happened in the late 19th century. Eventually, the modern definition of epilepsy was adopted from Jackson, who defined the condition as a disorderly, excessive and occasional discharge of the nerve tissue. Over the years, the development of technology has enabled the world to learn even more about seizures and epilepsy; important factors such as how and why they occur in certain cases.

Epilepsy does affect all groups of persons, from children to the elderly. More than 2.5 million people in the world suffer from epilepsy. Children from birth to the age of nine largely contribute to this number (47%). The 10-19 year olds contribute to over 30% of these suffering.

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Seizures can be divided into various categories which range in both severity and length. This division is usually dependent on the part of the brain they affect. Ideally, seizures differ depending on which part of the brain the abnormal discharge occurs, the number of neurons involved and the period of time the discharge lasts. Some seizures may be harmless or subtle while others may be life threatening. Epilepsy, being a condition that disrupts the activities of the brain, can affect most, if not all parts of the body (Watson, 2017). A tonic- clonic seizure may take about 7 minutes whereas absence seizures may last for a few seconds.

These different types have different symptoms. Symptoms would depend on which part of the brain is involved and they may include brief blackouts after the experience, changes in behavior, frothing or drooling, movements of the eyes, snorting or grunting, uncontrollable bowels or bladder, changes in moods among others. Seizures can be divided into three main categories: focal, epileptic and generalized (Berg et al, 2010). Neuronal networks limited to one part of the cerebral hemisphere cause focal seizures. Seizures that begin from neuronal networks bilaterally distributed are generalized seizures. The point of origin of these seizures may either be the cortex or the subcortical structures. A seizure may start as a focal seizure and still end up being a generalized seizure (Stafstrom & Carmant, 2015)

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