Causes of Seizures

Common seizures causes include things like fever, chemical imbalance (such as low blood sugar in people with diabetes), trauma, and developmental problems. Certain types of poisoning have also been known to lead to seizures. Other causes may involve brain tumors, alcoholism, and strokes. In about half of all cases, the cause is unknown.

Understanding the Possible Causes of Seizures -- An Overview

There can be number of reasons why someone has a seizure. In fact, anything that disturbs the normal pattern of nerve cell activity in the brain -- from illness to abnormal brain development -- can cause seizures.
 
Some possible causes of seizures may include:
 
  • Fever
  • Chemical imbalance
  • Medical conditions
  • Trauma
  • Developmental problems
  • Poisoning.
 
In about half of all seizure cases, the cause is not known.
 

Fever

Many young children experience convulsions that are caused by fevers, called febrile seizures. During a febrile seizure, a child often loses consciousness and shakes, moving limbs on both sides of the body. Less commonly, the child becomes rigid or has twitches in only a portion of the body, such as an arm or a leg, or only on the right or the left side.
 

Chemical Imbalance

Seizures may be caused by an imbalance of body fluids or chemicals, such as low blood sugar in people with diabetes, or by alcohol or drug withdrawal.
 

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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
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