Complications

Having a seizure at certain times can lead to circumstances that are dangerous to yourself or others.

• Falling. If you fall during a seizure, you can injure your head or break a bone.
• Drowning. If you have epilepsy, you're 13-19 times more likely to drown while swimming or bathing than the rest of the population because of the possibility of having a seizure while in the water.

• Car accidents. A seizure that causes either loss of awareness or control can be dangerous if you're driving a car or operating other equipment.

  Many states have driver's license restrictions related to a driver's ability to control seizures and impose a minimum amount of time that a driver be seizure-free, ranging from months to years, before being allowed to drive.

• Pregnancy complications. Seizures during pregnancy pose dangers to both mother and baby, and certain anti-epileptic medications increase the risk of birth defects. If you have epilepsy and you're considering becoming pregnant, talk to your doctor as you plan your pregnancy.

  Most women with epilepsy can become pregnant and have healthy babies. You'll need to be carefully monitored throughout pregnancy, and medications may need to be adjusted. It's very important that you work with your doctor to plan your pregnancy.

• Emotional health issues. People with epilepsy are more likely to have psychological problems, especially depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Problems may be a result of difficulties dealing with the condition itself as well as medication side effects, but even people with well-controlled epilepsy are at increased risk.

Other life-threatening complications of epilepsy are uncommon, but may happen, such as:

• Status epilepticus. This condition occurs if you're in a state of continuous seizure activity lasting more than five minutes or if you have frequent recurrent seizures without regaining full consciousness in between them. People with status epilepticus have an increased risk of permanent brain damage and death.

• Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP). People with epilepsy also have a small risk of sudden unexpected death. The cause is unknown, but some research shows it may occur due to heart or respiratory conditions.

  People with frequent tonic-clonic seizures or people whose seizures aren't controlled by medications may be at higher risk of SUDEP. Overall, about 1% of people with epilepsy die of SUDEP. It's most common in those with severe epilepsy that doesn't respond to treatment.