It's a disorder of the brain that sometimes makes people have seizures.
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It's not contagious.
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It can be caused by anything that damages the brain. In most cases, the cause is unknown.
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Seizures happen when there's a brief glitch in the brain's electrical activity.
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There are different kinds of seizures. Some are convulsions. Others make people stare into space or act confused.
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Most seizures are over in seconds or a couple of minutes.
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Epilepsy affects people from all walks of life. More than 350,000 African-Americans have epilepsy. About 24,000 African-Americans are diagnosed with epilepsy each year.
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Teens with epilepsy take daily medication to prevent seizures. Some use other kinds of treatment.
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Some teens have lots of seizures. Some have very few, or none at all.
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Teens with epilepsy play sports, hang out, and go to regular schools. Teens who are seizure-free may be able to get drivers' licenses.
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Teens with epilepsy want to be respected by other teens and treated just like anybody else.
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