Causes of Seizures

Cause

Examples

High fever

Heatstroke

Infections

Brain infections

Abscess

AIDS

Malaria

Meningitis

Rabies

Syphilis

Tetanus

Toxoplasmosis

Viral encephalitis

Metabolic disorders

High blood levels of sugar (hyperglycemia) or sodium

Low blood levels of sugar (hypoglycemia), calcium, magnesium, or sodium

Other disorders

Kidney failure or liver failure, which can lead to dysfunction of the brain (encephalopathy)

Vitamin B6 deficiency (in newborns)

Inadequate oxygen supply to the brain

Abnormal heart rhythms

Cardiac arrest

Carbon monoxide poisoning

Near drowning

Near suffocation

Stroke

Vasculitis

Structural damage to the brain

Brain tumor (noncancerous or cancerous)

Head injury

Hydrocephalus

Intracranial hemorrhage (bleeding within the skull)

Stroke

Abnormalities present or occurring at birth, including genetic disorders

Birth defect

Hereditary metabolic disorders, such as Tay-Sachs disease or phenylketonuria

Injury during birth

Fluid accumulation in the brain (cerebral edema)

Eclampsia

Hypertensive encephalopathy

Prescription medications*

Camphor

Imipenem (an antibiotic)

Tricyclic antidepressants

Illicit drugs

Amphetamines

(overdose)

Withdrawal of a medication or substance after heavy use

Alcohol

General anesthetics (used during surgery)

Sedatives, including sleep aids

Exposure to toxins

Lead

Strychnine

* Various medications can cause seizures if too much is taken. In some people, certain medications can make seizures more likely to occur by making nerve cells in the brain easier to stimulate. These medications are thought to lower the seizure threshold.

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