Who is at risk for epilepsy?

About 3 million people in the United States are living with epilepsy, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Epilepsy is a neurological disorder that causes irregular bursts of electrical activity in the brain, also known as seizures.

The brain generates an electrical current whenever we think. It also uses a substantial amount of energy to put up “gates” to stop that electrical energy from spreading to where it shouldn’t go, explains Evan Black, MD, a neurologist in Salt Lake City, Utah.

“Anything that impairs those gates—anything that weakens the normal structure of the brain—can allow seizures to occur,” Dr. Black says.

Not all seizures indicate epilepsy. Many things can cause isolated seizures, including drug and alcohol use and head trauma. But in people who do have epilepsy, a problem is occurring in the brain that leads to repeated seizures.

Risk factors for epilepsy

The following factors can increase a person’s chance of developing epilepsy, which can surface at any point in life.

Trauma to the head

A head trauma or traumatic brain injury can cause seizures. If the damage is severe enough to cause repeated seizures, it can lead to epilepsy—especially if there’s bleeding in the brain, Black explains.

If you sustain a head injury, you’ll want to seek medical attention from a neurologist who can evaluate the damage, assess the potential for complications, and intervene as needed to prevent more damage.

Infections

Certain infections—such as meningitis and viral encephalitis—can damage the brain and increase epilepsy risk. Other infections that specifically target the brain, like neurocysticercosis, can increase epilepsy risk for the same reason.

Pregnancy and childbirth complications

Pregnancy complications and infections that interfere with fetal brain development can increase the risk of epilepsy. Congenital brain differences—health issues a baby is born with—can also raise a child’s risk for epilepsy.

Complications that occur during birth, such as a difficult labor or a delivery that injures a baby’s head (causing the flow of oxygen to the baby’s brain to be blocked, for instance) can injure the brain and may also lead to epilepsy, Black says.

Family history

Genetic factors are an exception to the predominant pattern of epilepsy being a result of a brain injury, Black explains. Research shows that epilepsy can run in families.

If you’re born with certain genes, you may be more likely to develop the neurological disorder. A genetic predisposition can also increase the risk that if you have a seizure, it will become a chronic problem. The epilepsy risk is greater if both parents are carriers of the gene.

However, being born with a certain gene does not mean you will inevitably develop epilepsy, Black notes.

Certain medical conditions

Medical conditions that damage the brain or stop it from developing normally are also epilepsy risk factors. These conditions include the following.

• Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia are neurodegenerative disorders in which nerve cells in the brain die before they should, Black explains. This may cause enough damage for epilepsy to develop.
• Strokes damage brain cells, which could permanently interrupt the routing of the brain’s electrical activity and lead to repeated seizures.
• Brain tumors and problems with blood vessels in the brain can lead to epilepsy if they damage the brain’s electrical activity patterns.
• Autism, Down syndrome, and other developmental and genetic disorders are linked to seizures and epilepsy.

Talk to your healthcare provider

To learn more about your epilepsy risk, speak with a healthcare provider. If you’re at risk—or have already had a seizure—they can help determine a diagnosis and if needed, begin treatment. If you’ve had a seizure, medications can help prevent further damage, Black says.

“The brain is very pliable,” he explains. “If a person has frequent seizures and does not seek treatment for them, the brain will actually learn how to have seizures.”

In the meantime, take steps to protect your brain:

• Wear a helmet while cycling, riding a motorcycle, or playing contact sports to prevent head trauma.
• Keep up to date with vaccinations to lower the risk of infections.
• Eat a healthy diet, exercise regularly as you are able, and prioritize good sleep to support brain health.