About Epilepsy

Epilepsy will affect every person (directly or indirectly) at some point during their lifetime. There are approximately 32,000 people in Orange County, California affected by epilepsy and over 400,000 people with epilepsy and seizure disorders throughout the state of California. Most people with epilepsy lead outwardly normal lives. Approximately 80 percent can be significantly helped by modern therapies, and some may go months or years between seizures. However, the condition can and does affect daily life for people with epilepsy, their family, and their friends.

 

Epilepsy is a non-transmittable disease; it is a neurological disorder in which the brain produces sudden bursts of electrical energy that can interfere with a person's consciousness, movements or sensations. Epilepsy is usually characterized by either recurrent or sporadic seizures. Epileptic seizures are usually convulsive. Seizures can last from a few seconds up to minutes, depending on the intensity of neuronal excitability. Epilepsy treatment usually requires the regular intake of controlled anti-convulsive medications.

 

Up to 50,000 Americans die each year from seizures and related causes, including drowning and other accidents; one in 10 people will suffer a seizure during their life. Epilepsy is a condition that is as common as breast cancer, and takes as many lives each year. It is a widely misunderstood condition that too often goes untreated and misdiagnosed. By some estimates, the mortality rate for people with epilepsy is two to three times higher—and the risk of sudden death SUDEP is 24 times greater than that of the general population.

 

There are 200,000 new cases of epilepsy diagnosed each year.  It is estimated that over 3 million Americans (50 million worldwide) have epilepsy, depending on the diagnostic criteria and study method used—more than Multiple Sclerosis, Muscular Dystrophy, Cerebral Palsy and Parkinson's disease combined. Currently, between 1 and 3 percent of the American population will develop epilepsy by the age 75; ten percent will experience a seizure during their lifetime.

 

Recently, law enforcement personnel are becoming educated about the different intensities and types of epileptic seizures in order to prevent misinterpreting behavior, such as the appearance of intoxication, exhibited by persons experiencing a seizure or in or in the immediate recovery period.

 

What causes epilepsy?



In approximately 70% of people diagnosed with epilepsy, the cause is not known. The remaining 30% of patients are found to have these common causes:

 

       ·       Stroke

       ·       Heredity

       ·       Lead Poisoning

       ·       Brain Tumor/Head Trauma/Infection

       ·       Prenatal Brain Development Problems

 

About 1% of the general population will develop epilepsy. Although the risk is higher in people with certain medical conditions such as:

 

       ·      Alzheimer’s disease

       ·      Autism

       ·      Cerebral palsy

       ·      Mental retardation

       ·      Stroke

 

Other types of epilepsy may be induced through occupational damage, due to repeated exposure to acoustic or visual stimuli, or as a result of an isolated high-intensity auditory or visual stimulus. Whatever the case, the sensory stimulation induces chemical changes in the related brain areas, causing a kind of electrical short-circuit, with a group of neurons briefly firing in a synchronous rhythm. These stimuli-induced forms of seizures are known as acquired epilepsy.

 

Epilepsy may be the result of inherited gene mutations, metabolic diseases, brain malformations, or may constitute a major symptom of a neurological disease. When the epilepsy results from an identified cerebral condition, it is classified as symptomatic. Non-symptomatic epilepsies are those occurring in people who do not present brain abnormalities or neurological disorders other than the seizures.

 

What is Status Epilepticus? 



Status epilepticus is a potentially life-threatening condition in which a person either has an abnormally prolonged seizure or does not fully regain consciousness between seizures. Most people agree that any seizure lasting longer than 5 minutes or if a second seizure occurs before recovery, should, for practical purposes, be treated as though it was status epilepticus.

 

Status epilepticus affects about 195,000 people each year in the United States and results in about 42,000 deaths. It is important to treat a person with status epilepticus as soon as possible. Doctors in a hospital setting can treat status epilepticus with several different drugs and can undertake emergency life-saving measures, such as administering oxygen, if necessary.

 

People in status epilepticus do not always have severe convulsive seizures. Instead, they may have repeated or prolonged nonconvulsive seizures. This type of status epilepticus may appear as a sustained episode of confusion or agitation in someone who does not ordinarily have that kind of mental impairment.

 

You can play sports with epilepsy however; it’s a good idea to have someone with you who knows how to manage a seizure. You should always wear head protection when participating in a contact sport that has a risk of falling or hitting your head.

 

It’s important to remember to choose the right physical activities for living with epilepsy. Here is a simple guide to help you.

 

1. If seizures usually occur at a certain time, you should plan activities when seizures are less likely to happen

2. Avoid extreme heat when exercising and keep hydrated with plenty of water to reduce the risk of seizures

3. Check with your neurologist before starting any new exercise program

 

*Some activities may be restricted if you have uncontrolled seizures

 

Helping to manage my medication!



One way to stick to the treatment plan you and your doctor agreed to is to check your prescription every time you pick it up at the pharmacy.

 

Remember to stay on track and don't accept a substitution—even if your pharmacist says what they've provided is the same thing.

 

Staying on track with a medication that is working is important to maintaining seizure control.

 

1. Compare the new pill bottle label with the label on your last prescription.

2. Check that the pills look exactly the same (size, shape, color, and imprint).

3. Confirm with the pharmacist (if anything looks different) that he or she is aware of any change and has discussed it with your doctor.

4. Contact your doctor (or have your pharmacist call him or her) if your doctor did not request a change to your prescription.

 

Helpful tip: To help you and your pharmacist ensure you receive the same pills from the same manufacturer, the Epilepsy Foundation has developed a letter you can fill out with your doctor with your current medication information to keep on file at the pharmacy.  Download your copy here!!   

 

Do you need help remembering to take your epilepsy medications?

 

Taking your medications properly is very important in treating your epilepsy. It is important not to skip doses and to establish a schedule you can remember. A few simple tips to help you stay on track with your epilepsy medication schedule are:

 

1. Use a pillbox (daily/weekly) for your epilepsy medication.

2. Leave yourself notes. Write reminders in your day planner or put sticky notes on your refrigerator or medicine cabinet.

3. Program your digital watch, cell phone, PDA or e-mail program to alert you when to take your epilepsy medication.

 

Epilepsy Facts


Epilepsy is the third most common neurological disorder in the United States after Alzheimer's disease and stroke. Epilepsy is not a single condition, but a family of more than 40 syndromes.

 

Epilepsy strikes most often among the very young and the very old, although anyone can get it at any age. Currently in the U.S. it affects at least 326,000 children under age 15 and over 90,000 of them have severe seizures that cannot be adequately treated. The number of cases in the elderly is beginning to soar as the baby boom generation approaches retirement age. Currently in the U.S. more than 300,000 adults over age 65 have the condition.

Epilepsy imposes an annual economic burden of $17.6 billion on the nation in associated health care costs and losses of employment, wages and productivity.

This year another 200,000 people in the U.S. will be diagnosed with epilepsy and 45,000 are children under the age of 15.

Epilepsy and its treatment produce a health-related quality of life that is measured by days of limited activity, pain, depression, anxiety, reduced vitality and insufficient sleep or rest. These problems are similar to patients with arthritis, heart problems, diabetes and cancer. 30%-40% of people with epilepsy are severely affected and continue to have seizures despite treatment.

Epilepsy is among the least understood of the major chronic medical conditions even though one in three adults knows someone with the disorder. Lack of knowledge about proper first aid exposes affected individuals to injury from unnecessary restraint and objects needlessly forced into the mouth.

The leading non-medical problem confronting people with epilepsy is discrimination in education, employment and social acceptance.

Epilepsy is prevalent among other disability groups such as autism (25.5%), cerebral palsy (13%), Down's syndrome (13.6%), and mental retardation (25.5%). For people with both cerebral palsy and mental retardation the prevalence is (40%).

The association between epilepsy and depression is especially strong. More than one of every three persons with epilepsy is also affected by the mood disorder, and people with a history of depression have a 3 to 7 time’s higher risk of developing epilepsy.

Some people with epilepsy do not even know they have it, because they have been told they have a "seizure disorder" instead. This unfortunate euphemism arose because of the historical stigma associated with epilepsy, which the Epilepsy Foundation and others have fought to dispel.

Epilepsy surgery is one of the most underutilized of proven effective therapeutic interventions in the field of medicine because many American physicians are unaware of the safety and efficacy of the procedure. It averages 14 years between the onset of epilepsy and surgical intervention for seizures that are uncontrollable by medication.

Source: Epilepsy Foundation

 

Social Aspects 



It is not uncommon for people with epilepsy, especially children, to develop behavioral and emotional problems. People with epilepsy have an increased risk of poor self-esteem, depression, and suicide. Sometimes these problems are caused by embarrassment or frustration associated with epilepsy.

 

Other problems may result from bullying, teasing, or avoidance in school and other social settings. These problems may be a reaction to a lack of understanding or discomfort about epilepsy that may result in cruelty or avoidance by other people. Families must learn to accept and live with the seizures without blaming or resenting the affected person.

 

Epilepsy support groups are an excellent resource for people with epilepsy and their family members to share their experiences, frustrations, and tips for coping with the disorder. Many people with epilepsy also live with an ever-present fear that they will have another seizure.

 

Driving 



For many people with epilepsy, the risk of seizures restricts their independence, in particular the ability to drive. Most states will not issue a driver's license to someone with epilepsy unless the person can document that they have gone a specific amount of time without a seizure (the waiting period varies from a few months to several years).

 

Recreation 



The risk of seizures also restricts people's recreational choices. For instance, people with epilepsy should not participate in sports where a moment's inattention could lead to injury. Other activities, such as swimming, should be done only with precautions and/or supervision.

 

However, many other sports are reasonably safe for a person with epilepsy. It is important to take steps to avoid potential sports-related problems such as dehydration, overexertion, and hypoglycemia, as these problems can increase the risk of seizures.

 

Pregnancy



Women with epilepsy are often concerned about whether they can become pregnant and have a healthy child. While some seizure medications and some types of epilepsy may reduce a person's interest in sexual activity, most people with epilepsy can become pregnant. In men, some epilepsy medications can cause erectile dysfunction (E.D.) check with your doctor.

 

Parents who are worried that their epilepsy may be hereditary may wish to consult a genetic counselor to determine what the risk might be. Women with epilepsy sometimes experience a change in their seizure frequency during pregnancy, even if they do not change medications. Women with epilepsy should be aware that some epilepsy medications can interfere with the effectiveness of oral contraceptives. Women who wish to use oral contraceptives to prevent pregnancy should discuss this with their doctors, who may be able to prescribe a different kind of antiepileptic medication or suggest other ways of avoiding an unplanned pregnancy.