Epilepsy

Epilepsy can be caused by different conditions that affect the brain. Some of these causes are preventable. Many times, doctors don’t know the cause. Less than half of newly diagnosed cases of epilepsy have a known cause. Some known causes of epilepsy include:

• Cysticercosis (sis-ter-sir-koh-sis) infection, the leading cause of epilepsy worldwide
• Stroke
• Brain tumor
• Traumatic brain injury
• Loss of oxygen to the brain
• Certain genetic conditions, such as Down syndrome

Main types of seizures

A seizure is a sudden, uncontrolled electrical disturbance in the brain. It can cause changes in awareness, behavior, movements, feelings, and levels of consciousness. There are two main types of seizures, named based on where the seizure starts in the brain. A person with epilepsy can have more than one type of seizure.

Taking an active role in your epilepsy can be an important part of helping to reduce your seizures and feel more in control of your condition. Learning about how your epilepsy affects you, being able to get involved and able to make informed choices about managing your treatment, is all part of this. Having a good relationship with your health care professionals can also help, including neurologist and epilepsy nurse (if you have one), and pharmacist.

Managing Epilepsy

You can learn how to manage your epilepsy to feel better and have a more active and full life. Practice these self-management strategies to better control your seizures and your health.

Understand your Condition and treatment

• Learn about your condition
• Take your seizure medicines as prescribed
• Check with your health care provider before taking other medicines or supplements
• Talk to your health care provider about any concerns you may have

Manage Your Seizures

• Track your seizures to understand patterns
• Pay attention to the things that can trigger your seizures so you can avoid them if possible

Practice Healthy Habits

• Get at least 7-8 hours of sleep each night
• Exercise regularly and safely each day
• Eat a well-balanced diet and keep a healthy weight
• Don’t use tobacco
• Limit your alcohol intake
• Avoid using illegal drugs, prescription drugs in ways other than prescribed, or someone else’s prescription
• Keep other health conditions in check

Pay Attention to Your Mental Health

• Practice ways to lower stress
• Get help for emotional problems
• Use strategies to help with memory problems

The Florida Department of Health’s Epilepsy Services Program provides patient assistance, referrals, education, and prevention services to all residents. The goal of this program is to increase the independency of individuals with epilepsy, awareness of epilepsy, research, and understanding the neurological functions in individuals with epilepsy.

Epilepsy Services Providers

Any resident of Florida diagnosed with epilepsy, or is suspected of having epilepsy, and needs the program’s services can apply to be a client.

If a client needs medical services and the client’s gross family income is at or below 100% of the federal poverty income guidelines, services are provided free of charge. If the client’s gross family income is above that threshold, medical services are provided on a sliding fee scale.

Epilepsy Alliance Florida is dedicated to supporting those impacted by epilepsy by confronting the spectrum of challenges created by seizures, and provides many valuable services to individuals and their families, regardless of their financial situation.

Epilepsy Services of Southwest Florida has a goal to assist in the process of empowering patients toward self-management in order to be able to lead as close to a normal life as possible.  

Epilepsy Association is dedicated to improving the quality of life for persons affected by epilepsy and seizure disorders, offering related medical and case management services; and educational programs to understand epilepsy for your business, community group or school. 

Epilepsy Agency of the Big Bend provides various services to children and adults who have epilepsy and live in Florida. These services include advocating for persons with epilepsy; educating the community about epilepsy, prevention and seizure first aid; and assisting with patient prescription assistance applications. 

Epilepsy Foundation is a national organization that provides community services, public education, federal and local advocacy, seizure first aid training, and research funding for new treatments.

Based on the 2023 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System:

• Approximately 403,300 Florida adults (2.2%) have been told by a doctor that they have a seizure disorder or epilepsy
• Among those, approximately 36.3% (146,400) were taking medication to control it

Emergency Department Visits and Hospitalizations

In 2024, there were 21,738 hospitalizations and 31,204 emergency department visits with epilepsy listed as the principal diagnosis.