Diseases of the brain, where there has been at least one seizure and a long term risk of further seizures, are collectively known as epilepsy. Conditions that look like epileptic seizures but are not include fainting, nonepileptic psychogenic event, and tremor.
A seizure that lasts for more than a brief period of time is a medical emergency.

Any seizure lasting longer than 5 minutes should be treated as status epilepticus. A first seizure generally does not require long term treatment with anti-seizure medications unless a specific problem is found on electroencephalogram (EEG) or brain imaging. Typically it is safe to complete the work-up following a single seizure as an outpatient. In many, with what appears to be a first seizure, other minor seizures have previously occurred.