What is epilepsy? Why does epilepsy occur?

  Scientific research has made it clear that epilepsy is not an “evil” or a “demonic possession”.  Under normal circumstances, the excitatory and inhibitory nerve cells are interconnected and mutually restrained, and the whole brain is very harmonious, playing a rousing or soothing melody, and people have joy, anger, worry, thought, grief, fear and sleep. Once the brain is over-excited or under-inhibited, a large number of nerve cells suddenly over-discharge together, forming a huge “electrical storm”, which will interfere with the normal function of the brain, there are various transient abnormal manifestations perceived by the patient and/or witnesses, such as dazed, hallucinations, hallucinations, convulsions, etc. This is a seizure. “If the “electrical storm” is too strong and lasts for a long time, the nerve cells will be overworked and even damaged. If the “electrical storm” is too strong and lasts for a long time, it will overwork the nerve cells and even damage them, so they need to rest for a while. However, the excessive discharge in the brain is not felt by the patient and not seen by others, but we can monitor it with an EEG machine.  The World Health Organization reports that there are about 50 million people with epilepsy worldwide, 40 million in developing countries. China has about 9 million patients with epilepsy, of which 6 million patients still have seizures every year, and 400,000 new cases will appear every year. With the aging of China’s population in recent years and the increased incidence of cerebrovascular disease, dementia and neurodegenerative diseases, the incidence of epilepsy in the elderly population has been on the rise.