A host of other conditions have been known to cause epilepsy. Lack of sleep, stress, alcohol consumption and hormonal changes related to menstruation can also lead to seizures. These conditions may not actually cause epilepsy, but they are instrumental in triggering the first seizure in otherwise healthy individuals or those individuals who have the seizures under control with medication. Once the first seizure is triggered, it seems to become a chink in the brain’s armory and can lead to further seizures. Smoking cigarettes, flashing lights and the blinking computer screen have also acted as triggers on many occasions.

Carbon monoxide, lead and other such poisons that affect the brain or the oxygen supply to the brain also cause seizures. Even an over exposure to medications like anti-depressants and other street drugs leads to epilepsy.

Hydrocephaus (a condition where fluids accumulate in the brain), AIDS, meningitis, viral encephalitis are all infections that make a person more prone to epilepsy. Neurocysticercosis is another parasitic infection of the brain that causes epilepsy. Seizures have been known to occur due to intolerance to wheat gluten. However, in such cases, the episodes cease once the causative conditions are treated and cured.

Some of the common lifestyle complaints like heart attacks and strokes could also lead to epilepsy. Brain tumors and other such problems are directly associated with the brain and, thus, can trigger seizures any time. The brain happens to be one of the largest consumers of oxygen in the body. Heart attacks and strokes deprive the brain of this vital oxygen, causing seizures. More than 30 percent of epilepsy cases in the elderly are due to cerebro-vascular disease which cut off the oxygen supply to the brain.

Getting hit on the head could prove to be a double edged sword. While the hit itself can cause epilepsy, even the brain’s attempts to make any repairs could act as a trigger for the condition. This is because as the brain tries to do the necessary repairs, inadvertently, it could generate abnormal nerve connections. These, then lead to epilepsy. In short, any kind of disturbance to the normal neuronal activity of the brain could make one susceptible to epileptic attacks.

Head injuries, simple to severe, can lead to epilepsy or trigger episodes in people who are already suffering from it. This is because a physical hit to the head could lead to internal brain damage of varying extents. Pre-natal head injuries could also lead to epilepsy. These injuries are not necessarily physical. An infected mother, poor nutrition while development and oxygen deficiencies could lead to cerebral palsy in the fetus itself. About 20 percent of epilepsy cases in children are a result of such cerebral palsy.

More than 500 genes have been found to be responsible for epilepsy. Mutations on the gene called GABRA1, that has been recently discovered, make the brain cells unable to communicate with each other. Influences by genes that code for the ion channels of cells have also been known to make people with epilepsy more resistant to medications. Thus, anti-convulsant medications do not work well for these patients. The genes also influence one’s susceptibility to seizures and the seizure threshold that one is capable of. Neuronal migration is a vital step in brain development. Any slight abnormality in the gene that controls this leads to dysplasia or abnormally formed neurons, which could further lead to epilepsy.

Ion channels are gateways that regulate the flow of ions in and out of the cells during neuron signaling. When the genes that code for these ion channels are abnormal, it could lead to epilepsy. The absence of a gene which codes for the protein cystatin B causes progressive myoclonus epilepsy in the patient. Lafora’s disease is a severe form of epilepsy that occurs due to a defect in the gene that helps in breaking down carbohydrates.

At times, there is an abnormality in the amount of signalling molecules or neurotransmitters in the brain. GABA or gamma-aminobutyric-acids are the most studied neurotransmitters that have been linked to epilepsy. An abnormally high level of these excitatory neurotransmitters leads to increased neuron activity. A low level drastically reduces the neuron activity. Both these conditions could lead to epileptic attacks. Glutamate is another excitatory neurotransmitter that could play havoc if its quantity varies.