If you have epilepsy, it means that you sometimes have seizures (also called fits).

Around one person in 20 will have a single seizure at some time in their life. This doesn’t mean they have epilepsy – it could be due to all sorts of things. The term epilepsy is used when you’ve had two or more unprovoked seizures.

What happens during a seizure?

A seizure is caused by a sudden burst of excess electrical activity in your brain.
Your brain is in charge of everything your body does. The type of seizure you have – and what happens during it - depends on where in your brain the excess electrical activity happens, and how widely it spreads.

There are more than 40 types of seizure and you can have more than one type.
Some people lose consciousness. Some people don’t. Some experience strange sensations, or parts of their body might twitch or jerk. Other people fall to the floor and convulse (they jerk violently, because their muscles tighten and relax in turn).

• More info about what can happen in different types of seizure

During your teenage years, it’s not unusual for the type or frequency of your seizures to change. Some people find that their seizures stop altogether – others might have seizures for the first time.

Seizures usually last anything from a few seconds to a few minutes. Then your brain returns to normal again. After the seizure, you might recover quickly or it might take a few hours – everyone is different. Just don’t rush back to do anything until you’re ready.