Diagnosing epilepsy

Getting a diagnosis of epilepsy can often take some time. Only until there have been two or more seizures that a diagnosis of epilepsy will be considered, unless there is an obvious known cause.

There is no test for epilepsy and diagnosis is almost entirely dependent on medical history, although can be possible with an accurate eye witness account.

It can be a long and frustrating process for families, so it is important to keep accurate records of any seizures, noting down when they occur, how long they last and a full description of what happened, including any changes in behaviour before the seizure. This will help the child’s medical team to understand the full picture.

Usually an initial medical examination will take place and the results of any further investigations will also take into account eyewitnesses reports.