Known Causes of Seizures in Adults

A seizure is the physical reaction of the body to a neurological event that causes an individual to temporarily lose control of some body functions. A seizure can manifest itself in a variety of ways, including shaking, chronic convulsions of the muscles and extreme changes in mental state, to short bouts of confusion or staring. Adults can experience seizures in response to a variety of different problems.

Atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis is the hardening of the arteries throughout your body. This is usually caused by the build-up of fats, called cholesterol, in the arteries. As the arteries around the brain begin to harden, they can trigger a seizure. They may also trigger a stroke, which can make an individual more prone to seizures later on.

Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

A subarachnoid hemorrhage can also cause a seizure in adults. Subarachnoid hemorrhages are the leaking of blood, or bleeding into the brain. This can cause a malfunction in the central nervous system leading to a seizure.

Injury

Injuries also can create the right type of environment for seizures to occur. The swelling and irritation to the brain tissue can cause adult seizures. Most commonly, car accidents and sports accidents in which a head injury occurs will lead to an increase risk for seizures.

Diseases That Cause Adult Seizures

Many diseases count seizures as a potential symptom or side effect of the disorder. Epilepsy is the most common disease in which seizures (epileptic seizures) occur. Other diseases in which seizures can be common are brain cancer, encephalitis, meningitis and kidney failure.

Seizures Cause: Withdrawal

Seizures can also be triggered during withdrawal from addictive substances. As a person becomes addicted to a drug, the nervous system pathways becomes physically changed. Once the addicted person no longer is ingesting the substance, those changed pathways can trigger a seizure as a side effect of withdrawal from the substance. This is why detoxing from any type of addictive substance, ranging from alcohol to heroin, should be done under direct medical supervision. This will help prevent injury if a seizure is to occur during the process.

References

• Merck: Seizure Disorders
• University of Maryland: Seizure Overview