Epilepsy check list

Head of health services at Young Epilepsy Kirsten McHale outlines the signs to look out for and what to do if your child is having a seizure.

- By CAMILLA FOSTER

What causes an epileptic seizure?

"Our brain communicates with the rest of our body through the use of electricity and an epileptic seizure is what happens to the brain when it has too much electricity in it," explains Kirsten.

How a seizure affects you depends on what area of the brain is involved, she explains.

"For example, focal seizures come from one part of your brain only and a common symptom is repetitive behaviours," explains Kirsten. "Generalised seizures are when you have too much electricity across the whole of your brain. They can cause an individual to lose consciousness, fall to the ground and rhythmically convulse.

"So, when we talk about seizure and seizure management, it's really important to know what type of seizures somebody has and how to treat them appropriately."