Education

Knowledge Base

Discover a reliable, evidence-based compendium on epileptology, created for patients, their loved ones and physicians. We know how paralysing the fear of the next seizure can be – that is why we combine medical precision with empathy, giving you knowledge that provides a sense of control and restores calm every day.

300,000–400,000

People living with epilepsy in Poland

(source: NFZ Report 2022, pacjent.gov.pl)

approx. 1%

of the general population has active epilepsy

(source: WHO Epilepsy Key Facts 2023, who.int)

Two peaks

of incidence: children and people aged 65+

(source: ILAE Epilepsy Guidelines 2020, ilae.org)

What is epilepsy?

Epilepsy is a disease of the brain characterised by an enduring predisposition to recurrent epileptic seizures. Seizures can look very different — they are not always convulsions. Epilepsy is neither a mental illness nor a contagious disease. According to the ILAE criteria, epilepsy may be diagnosed, among other situations, after two unprovoked seizures occurring more than 24 hours apart, or after a single seizure if the risk of further seizures is high. The final diagnosis is always made by a physician on the basis of the history, investigations and medical records.

What do seizures look like?

Symptoms depend on which area of the brain is involved in the discharge:

Generalized seizures (e.g. tonic-clonic): Loss of consciousness, a fall, stiffening of the body followed by rhythmic jerking.
Focal seizures: May present as a strange sensation in the stomach (aura), tingling, an unusual hand movement or lip-smacking without complete loss of awareness.
Absence seizures: A few seconds of “freezing” and staring at one point; most common in children.

Remember that seizure symptoms are highly individual. In one person every seizure looks similar, while another may experience different types of episodes.

Seizure triggers

In many patients seizures can be provoked by specific factors (so-called triggers). These include:

Sleep deprivation: Lack of sleep strongly lowers the seizure threshold.
Severe stress: Emotional tension and sudden anxiety.
Infections and fever: Weakening of the body.
Flashing lights (photosensitivity): Affects an estimated minority of patients (the more commonly quoted figure of 3–5% comes from studies of specific patient groups).
Irregular medication intake: The most common cause of breakthrough seizures.

Triggers are individual — not every patient reacts to the same stimuli. Keeping a seizure diary will help identify the patterns characteristic of your child.