are grand mal seizures hereditary
It is, however, not always possible to find the actual trigger of the disease. Such a type of epilepsy, which is mainly caused by genetic disposition is known as a genetic epilepsy. In around one third of all epilepsies, the cause of the disease remains unknown. It is clear, therefore, that anyone can get epilepsy at any time in their life. Thus epilepsy is a seizure or rather a disease which causes seizures to occur. As, however, there are many very different types of seizure, it is better to speak of epilepsies. Epileptic Seizures. Epileptic seizures can look very different. All seizures are caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain, which may be a result of injury, illness, a genetic condition, or may have no known cause. In patients with epilepsy, a grand mal seizure may arise from a trigger, such as mental or physical stress. Disorders that Mimic Epileptic Seizures. Neurologists must distinguish between spells that are epileptic seizures (and require treatment with anti-epilepsy medication or surgery) and spells from another cause (that require a completely different treatment plan). The possible causes tend to vary with age. Types of Epileptic Seizures. Epilepsy is not the same for everybody. There are many different types of epileptic seizures, each with unique symptoms, and each demanding its own treatment plan. (The salaam seizure is so called because of the nature of the seizure, during which the patient suddenly jerks, nods or slowly bends forward, as if to make an oriental greeting.). Today specialists no longer speak of grand mal and petit mal seizures, but generalised and focal seizures. A number of factors increase the risk of developing grand mal seizures. Not all people with risk factors will get grand mal seizures. Risk factors for grand mal seizures include: 1  Family history of certain genetic conditions. 2  Family history of epilepsy. 3  Recent brain surgery. 4  Recent head injury. 5  Recent infection of the brain. A. Epilepsy is the occurrence of sporadic electrical storms in the brain commonly called seizures. These storms cause behavioral manifestations (such as staring) or involuntary movements (such as grand mal seizures). There are several types of epilepsy, each with different causes, symptoms, and treatments. The types of seizures affecting patients with idiopathic generalized epilepsy may include: 1  Myoclonic seizures (sudden and very short duration jerking of the extremities). 2  Absence seizures (staring spells). 3  Generalized tonic-clonic seizures (grand mal seizures). (This in its turn means that in the brain only a certain part of one hemisphere is affected by the seizure.) Examples of focal seizures are one sided grand-mal seizures, one-sided jerking, stiffening or dysaesthesia, and psychomotor (partial complex) seizures.
Yes