What causes epilepsy

Patient's question:

When we were having a meal, the child suddenly fell to the ground and started having convulsions. I was terrified. The doctor said it was due to epilepsy. I would like to ask what factors cause this condition?

Doctor's answer:

I. Etiology of Primary Epilepsy
Primary epilepsy refers to epilepsy without the manifestations of cerebral organic or metabolic diseases, and the cause cannot be identified using current diagnostic methods. Most patients with primary epilepsy have a genetic relationship.
II. Etiology of Secondary Epilepsy
Secondary epilepsy is also known as symptomatic or acquired epilepsy. In this type of epilepsy, clinical seizures are only one symptom of a cerebral disease and are a manifestation of organic brain disease. For example, during the embryonic period, if the fetal brain is exposed to external adverse factors, it may lead to malformations, including holoprosencephaly, megencephaly, neuronal heterotopia, porencephaly, and macrocephaly, etc. Children with these congenital brain developmental abnormalities not only suffer from epilepsy but are often accompanied by mental retardation.
Brain diseases: Brain tumors are one of the common causes, especially so-called late-onset epilepsy in adults, which accounts for a higher proportion. Epilepsy caused by systemic factors: such as carbon monoxide poisoning, acute and chronic renal failure, hypoglycemia, hypocalcemia, hypertensive encephalopathy, pancreatic adenoma, hyperthyroidism, and various systemic infections, as well as vitamin B6 deficiency, can all trigger epilepsy. Long-term use of hypnotics, abrupt withdrawal of alcohol, or sudden discontinuation of antiepileptic drugs can also cause epilepsy. Additionally, there are secondary epilepsy caused by traumatic brain injuries.