What is Epilepsy?

Epilepsy is not contagious, an attack by demons or related to a mental illness. It is in fact, a disorder of the brain.

The brain is made of neurons (cells of the nervous system) which receive and analyze impulses (messages for the brain). Each part of the brain specializes in a variety of specific tasks. In the Epileptic brain, these impulses are either interrupted, not sent or received therefore not analyze. These impulses follow specific patterns to ensure that the tasks required are done quickly and well. Unfortunately, the Epileptic brain does not function as well as needed and sometimes it is victim of a sudden overload of impulses which is manifesting itself as seizures.

In the United States of America, 1 in 100 person is diagnosed with Epilepsy. About 80% of the people who are diagnosed will be able to control the seizures by using prescribed medications. The other 20% will continue to suffer from seizures which are called intractable seizures as no medications or treatments will be able to control them.

Some seizures may cause brain damage depending on the lenght, the frequency and the amount of seizures that a person is experiencing through life. Often, when it is diagnosed at an early age, during puberty because of the hormonal change and the physical changes that the body is going through, seizures may disappear and/or become controlled without medication. If diagnosed after puberty, Epilepsy must be treated as a permanent disorder and requires the care of a neurologist.

Either way, you should know that today, with all the medical resources that are available to people, someone affected by Epilepsy can live an active, fullfilling and happy life.