Not all people who have seizures have epilepsy. Epilepsy is diagnosed when a person has had at least two unprovoked seizures (not caused by an immediate medical condition or trigger) that occur more than 24 hours apart. A single seizure, or seizures caused by other factors such as low blood sugar, fever, or brain injury, do not mean a person has epilepsy. Some people may have seizures but not develop epilepsy, as epilepsy implies a tendency to have recurrent seizures due to a chronic brain condition. Therefore, having seizures does not automatically mean one has epilepsy, especially if they have not been diagnosed with it or if the seizures are provoked or isolated events.
