Try not to worry too much about your appointment. Many people are scared about having epilepsy (and of doctors and hospitals, come to that), but everyone at the clinic should try their hardest to put you at ease and answer all your questions.

It may be best to ask your mum, dad or a sensible friend or relative to go with you for moral support. This is especially important if they've witnessed your epilepsy and can describe what happens to you.

Remember, most people with epilepsy lead completely normal lives, and manage to keep it under control with a bit of thought about their lifestyle and by taking regular medication.

What is petit mal epilepsy?

Petit mal epilepsy is quite an old-fashioned term. The condition is now known as absence seizures, which neatly describes the momentary lapse in awareness that occurs during an episode.

This can happen many times a day, and is caused by a brief disruption of the electrical activity in the brain. It often looks a bit like daydreaming, which can mean it has been happening for a long time before anyone realises.

Absence seizures are particularly common in children and teenagers, especially in girls. The good news is most people seem to grow out of them and are able to stop taking medication as they get older.

At the hospital

The aim of your first appointment with the neurologist will be to try to establish what has been happening to you and whether absence seizures are the cause.

When you arrive, the nurse running the clinic will ask you some simple questions and may do some basic tests, such as weighing you and measuring your height. They may also want to test a sample of urine, to check for things such as infections or abnormal levels of sugar.

You may then have to wait a little while to see the neurologist, who'll ask you many questions to try to establish what has happened to you.

This will include questions about:

• Your symptoms
• Past illnesses
• Any medication you're taking
• General health, such as sleep or diet
• The health of others in your family
• Lifestyle, such as smoking or drinking

Some questions may seem odd or irrelevant, but these can be helpful in ruling out other conditions or causes of seizure.

The neurologist will then want to examine you to check your heart and lungs, and particularly to examine your nervous system.

They may also order some painless tests. These include:

• EEG (electroencephalogram) - measures the electrical activity of the brain using about 20 pads placed on your head
• Brain scans - CT (computerised tomography) and MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scans produce very clear pictures of your brain and are especially important to rule out a brain tumour, which is the cause of epilepsy in a few cases (but very rarely in absent seizures)
• Blood tests - may be needed to rule out certain causes of seizure

These tests should give the neurologist a good idea of your condition. You may have to return to the clinic a week or two later for the results.

If the neurologist diagnoses absence seizures, it may be recommended you start taking anti-epileptic medication. You may also be given advice about possible changes you may need to make to your lifestyle.

Don't hesitate to ask about anything you don't understand or want to know more about. The more you know about your condition, the better you will be able to control it.

This article was last medically reviewed by Dr Trisha Macnair in January 2008