4. I have only had one seizure, can I be diagnosed with epilepsy? Epilepsy is a clinical diagnosis defined as recurrent seizures at Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University, Functional Neurosurgery Department met Tao. Strictly speaking, if you have had only one seizure, you are not yet diagnosed with epilepsy. However, from a clinical perspective, various advanced tests such as electroencephalography (EEG), cranial CT scan or MRI scan can now predict the likelihood of a second seizure and influence to some extent whether you need to receive antiepileptic medication. Not all seizure events are epilepsy. For example, the withdrawal effects of alcohol or addictive drugs can severely affect the somatic body and produce seizures. Once these external causes disappear, the seizures also disappear. These types of triggered generated seizures are not classified as epilepsy. 5. At what age does epilepsy usually appear? Epilepsy can be released at any age. Some people have seizures from birth, while others may not have their first seizure until they are older. In fact, younger children and older adults are more likely to develop epilepsy. 6. Is epilepsy contagious? No. 7. Why do I have epilepsy? To answer this question, you may need to see an epilepsy specialist, who will ask you questions about your seizures and do a careful examination of your nervous system. You may need to have a CT or MRI scan of the head and an EEG. In some cases, a curable cause, such as a brain tumor, can be found and can be surgically removed. In other cases, the cause will need to be found in conjunction with a history of previous head trauma or intracranial infection. In a significant proportion of patients, a definitive cause cannot yet be identified with the current examination. (See Chapters 2 and 3 for details)