Everyday questions
Epilepsy Questions — Straight Answers
Short, factual answers to the questions people ask again and again — without turning every answer into a full article.
Quick answer first. Where a subject needs more detail, we link to a full reference page or Deep Dive. Country-specific rules, especially driving and emergency guidance, can differ.
Can epilepsy be cured?
There is no single cure for all epilepsy. Some people become seizure-free for long periods, some may later be able to stop medicine under specialist supervision, and selected people may become seizure-free after epilepsy surgery. The outlook depends on the epilepsy type, cause and response to treatment.
Can you catch epilepsy?
No. Epilepsy is not contagious and cannot be passed from one person to another by contact, sharing food, being nearby during a seizure or caring for someone who has one.
Does everyone with epilepsy fall down and shake?
No. Seizures can involve changes in consciousness, responsiveness, sensation, movement, emotion, memory or behaviour. Some are subtle and may not include convulsions at all. The ILAE’s 2025 classification recognises focal, generalized, unknown whether focal or generalized, and unclassified seizures.
Can someone talk during a seizure?
Yes, in some seizures. A person may speak, respond partly, repeat words, make sounds or carry out automatic actions. Being able to speak does not automatically mean the event is not a seizure.
Can you swallow your tongue during a seizure?
No. A person cannot swallow their tongue. Do not put spoons, fingers or other objects in their mouth. Doing so can injure the person helping and the person having the seizure, damage teeth or obstruct the airway.
Should you hold someone down during a convulsive seizure?
No. Restraining someone does not stop the seizure and can cause injury. Protect them from nearby danger, cushion the head where possible, and stay with them through recovery.
Can flashing lights trigger everyone with epilepsy?
No. Photosensitive epilepsy affects only a minority of people with epilepsy. Epilepsy Action estimates around 3 to 5 in every 100 people with epilepsy have seizures triggered by flashing or flickering lights.
Can stress trigger seizures?
For some people with epilepsy, stress is a reported seizure trigger. That is different from saying stress alone causes epilepsy. Triggers vary from person to person and may interact with sleep, missed medication, illness and other factors.
What happens if you miss epilepsy medicine?
Missing a dose can increase seizure risk. What to do next depends on the medicine and timing, so follow the patient information leaflet or ask a pharmacist, epilepsy nurse, GP or specialist. Do not take a double dose unless the medicine-specific instructions or your clinician tell you to.
Can epilepsy start in adulthood?
Yes. Epilepsy can begin at any age. Some syndromes begin mainly in childhood, while other epilepsies first appear in adulthood or later life.
Can a person have more than one type of seizure?
Yes. A person can experience more than one seizure type. Epilepsy classification is broader than the appearance of one individual seizure, and some epilepsy syndromes include several seizure types.
Can someone be awake but still not fully recovered?
Yes. The visible seizure can end before postictal recovery is complete. A person may be awake yet still confused, exhausted, frightened, have memory gaps, difficulty communicating or behave differently from their usual self.
Read about postictal recovery →
Can epilepsy affect memory even between seizures?
Yes. Memory and thinking can be affected by several factors, including seizure activity, the part of the brain involved, sleep, mood and some antiseizure medicines. The pattern is individual and should be discussed with the clinical team if it is affecting daily life.
Can bladder control be lost during a seizure?
Yes, urinary incontinence can occur during some seizures, particularly more severe convulsive events, but it is not present in every seizure and it is not specific enough to diagnose epilepsy by itself.
Can people with epilepsy drive?
Sometimes, depending on seizure control and local law. Driving rules vary by country. In Great Britain, you must stop driving and tell the DVLA if you have had epileptic seizures or blackouts; when you can drive again depends on the circumstances and the DVLA medical rules.
Is an aura a seizure?
It can be. In epilepsy, an aura can itself be a focal seizure and does not have to progress into a larger or more visible event. The word is often used for a brief subjective focal seizure experience such as déjà vu, an unusual smell or taste, a rising stomach sensation, tingling or sudden fear.
Read Auras and Focal Seizures →
Can someone tell you what it was like to die from SUDEP?
No. SUDEP means sudden unexpected death in epilepsy, so a person who died from SUDEP cannot describe the experience afterwards. Families or witnesses may describe the circumstances around the death. Research also uses a separate term, near-SUDEP, for certain cardiorespiratory arrests associated with epilepsy where the person survives.
This page will keep growing
We will add more straight-answer questions over time rather than repeating the same basic explanations across different pages.
Sources and guidance
International League Against Epilepsy — Updated classification of epileptic seizures (2025)
NHS Specialist Pharmacy Service — Missed or delayed doses
Epilepsy Action — Photosensitive epilepsy
Epilepsy Foundation — Seizure first aid
Medical note: These are general educational answers, not individual diagnosis or treatment advice.