Budget increase to develop people's awareness to seizures disorders

Pennsylvania is investing $750,000 in programs to increase public awareness of seizure disorders, according to state Health Secretary Dr. Calvin B. Johnson, who also announced November as Epilepsy Awareness Month in Pennsylvania.

"An estimated 120,000 Pennsylvanians have epilepsy or another type of seizure disorder making it important for us to reach out and educate the public -- especially our young people -- on how to better understand and accept the challenges of epilepsy," Dr. Johnson said. "While there is no cure, we can address this medical condition by increasing our ability to dispel the myths and negative stereotypes associated with epilepsy."

The Department of Health has contracted with the Epilepsy Foundations of Western/Central and Eastern Pennsylvania to develop and implement programs to promote acceptance and understanding of people with epilepsy.

One of those programs is "Project School Alert" which is free school and classroom presentations about epilepsy for school students, staff, parents and community groups. The presentations focus on teaching children what to do when a friend or family member has a seizure.

Epilepsy is a neurological disorder that affects more than 2.5 million Americans with 181,000 new cases diagnosed each year. Trends show a decreasing incidence of epilepsy among children and increasing incidence in the elderly. Epilepsy is generally a chronic and/or lifelong condition, and seizures can often be controlled with anti-epileptic medications, special diets or surgery.
In 70 percent of new cases of epilepsy, no cause is apparent.

It is a physical condition caused by sudden, brief changes in the brain's electrical balance. Seizures commonly last between a few seconds and a few minutes with characteristics varying from person to person. Epilepsy may sometimes be confused with other health conditions like heart attack, stroke or lack of coordination.