A single seizure usually lasts less than 3 minutes and is not followed by a second seizure. Any normally healthy person can have a single seizure under certain conditions. Many people who have a single seizure will not have another one. However, a tendency to recurrent seizures is epilepsy, and without further evaluation it may be difficult to tell if seizures are likely to recur. If you have a single seizure, we will usually do further laboratory (blood) testing, an MRI, and an EEG. After these tests come back we can decide whether to treat you with anticonvulsants long term.

Certain conditions will cause seizures, but when the condition is corrected are not necessarily be expected to result in future seizures. These conditions include:

• Extremely low blood sugar
• Electrolyte imbalances
• Toxemia of pregnancy (eclampsia)
• Kidney disease or failure
• Withdrawal from alcohol or medications, including street drugs
• Eating, drinking, breathing, or injecting certain poisons or street drugs (especially cocaine, GHB, and amphetaimines
• "Impact siezures" (seizure occuring at the moment of head trauma)
• Overdose or sensitivity to many prescription or nonprescription medications
• Low oxygen level (hypoxemia)
• Severe high blood pressure (hypertension)
• Liver disease

If you have a single seizure, the DMV may need to be notified. See Driving and Epilepsy