Frequently asked questions

Epilepsy is a neurological condition in which the brain has a tendency to produce recurrent, unprovoked seizures — sudden bursts of abnormal electrical activity that briefly change how a person moves, feels, or is aware. It is one of the most common neurological conditions worldwide, affecting around 50 million people according to the World Health Organization, and it can begin at any age.

No. A single seizure does not mean a person has epilepsy — seizures can be provoked by fever, very low blood sugar, alcohol withdrawal or an acute head injury. Epilepsy is usually diagnosed when someone has had two or more unprovoked seizures, or one seizure with a high likelihood of more. A doctor makes the diagnosis based on history, examination and tests such as an EEG.

There are many possible causes: genetic factors, brain injury, stroke, infections of the brain, tumours, or developmental differences. In about half of people with epilepsy, no specific cause is ever identified. Not knowing the cause does not prevent effective treatment.

Stay calm and stay with the person. Ease them to the floor if needed, turn them gently onto one side, put something soft under their head, and move dangerous objects away. Do not hold them down and never put anything in their mouth. Time the seizure. Call emergency services if the seizure lasts longer than 5 minutes, repeats without recovery, or if the person is injured, pregnant, in water, or has trouble breathing afterwards.

Yes. With the right anti-seizure medication, roughly two out of three people with epilepsy can become seizure-free. When medication alone is not enough, options can include epilepsy surgery, neurostimulation devices, or dietary therapies — always under specialist care.

A trigger is something that makes a seizure more likely in a person who has epilepsy — common examples are missed medication, lack of sleep, stress, alcohol, illness, and in a small minority of people, flashing lights. Triggers differ from person to person, which is why keeping a diary of seizures and circumstances is so useful.

An aura is a warning sensation some people notice before a seizure spreads — for example an unusual smell, a rising feeling in the stomach, déjà vu, or sudden anxiety. An aura is actually the beginning of a focal seizure. Recording auras helps you and your medical team understand where seizures start and can give you time to get to a safe position.

Most people with epilepsy study, work, have families and enjoy sport and travel. Good seizure control, sensible safety habits and support make the biggest difference. Some activities are regulated — driving rules, for example, depend on your country and on how long you have been seizure-free — so discuss specifics with your doctor.

You can try everything free for 7 days. After the trial, Epilepsy Mate requires a subscription (monthly or annual) that covers all your devices. Local prices are shown in the app. Your data stays safely stored even if your subscription lapses.

Epilepsy Mate runs on iPhone, Android, smartwatches (Apple Watch and Wear OS), and in any modern web browser at app.epilepsymate.com. One account keeps your diary in sync everywhere, and the watch apps let you log a seizure from your wrist in two taps.

Yes. Your entries are encrypted in transit, protected by row-level security so only your account can read them, never sold, and never used for advertising. You can export your data or permanently delete your account at any time from the app settings.

Yes. You can generate a secure, read-only report link or export summaries of your seizures, medications and trends — designed so your neurologist can review months of history at a glance during a consultation.

The AI Seizure Coach analyses the data you have logged — seizures, medications, sleep, triggers — and answers your questions about it in plain language. Because it already has your logged history as context, you never need to re-explain your situation with each question: every answer starts from your real data. It can run deep pattern analyses and handle everyday questions. It is educational only: it never gives medical advice and never replaces your doctor.

No. Epilepsy Mate is a diary and insight tool, not a medical device. It does not detect, predict, diagnose or treat seizures, and it must not be relied on for safety monitoring. If you need seizure detection, talk to your medical team about dedicated monitoring devices.

Yes. Many caregivers keep the diary on behalf of a family member, and a simplified kid mode shows only an easy seizure-logging page, so a child or helper can record an event without seeing the full app.

Epilepsy Mate is available in English, Arabic, French, German, Spanish and Italian — across the apps, the web app and this website. Emails such as sign-in links arrive in your language too.