Photosensitive Epilepsy : Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

Photosensitive epilepsy is a type of epilepsy where flashing lights and specific patterns can trigger various seizure types including tonic-clonic, absence, myoclonic, and focal seizures. Convulsions are triggered by certain visual stimuli or patterns. These visual triggers can include flashing lights, strobe lights, or repetitive patterns. Not everyone with epilepsy is photosensitive, and for those who are, the triggers can vary widely in intensity and pattern. Photosensitive epilepsy is relatively rare, accounting for about 3-5% of all epilepsy cases. It most commonly starts in childhood or adolescence, but it can develop at any age.