• "Epilepsy is a condition where a person has recurring seizures (previously known as 'fits'). It is not an illness or a disease and is not 'catching'

• Epilepsy is the most common serious neurological condition. 1 in every 130 people in the U.K. (more than 300,000 people) has epilepsy and can be said to have a low resistance to seizures ('a low seizure threshold').

• Epilepsy is difficult to diagnose as 1 in 20 people will have a single seizure at some time in their life but may not develop epilepsy. Everyone's brain is capable of producing a seizure in appropriate circumstances, for example a baby with a high temperature may have what is known as a febrile convulsion, but most people have a high resistance to seizures (a 'high seizure threshold').

• The brain is the control centre for the whole body and is made up of millions of brain cells called neurons which communicate with each other and work in harmony. A sudden uncontrolled episode of electro-chemical activity in the brain (a 'storm') will temporarily disrupt communication between the neurons (a 'short-circuit') and cause an epileptic seizure. 
  

• There are certain factors known as 'triggers' which may cause a seizure in a person with epilepsy and these are individual to everyone. The noise of a car horn and Cliff Richard's singing are specific triggers in two documented cases of epilepsy! However, the most common factors that may trigger a seizure are connected with life-style, for example stress, tiredness, alcohol, skipping meals, drugs and illness. Changes in hormone levels, such as in adolescence and pregnancy, can affect some people's epilepsy, and others who are photosensitive can be affected by light patterns or by staring at a television or video game.

• There are over 40 different types of seizure, ranging from grand-mal (now known as a tonic clonic seizure) where a person becomes unconsciousness, to a petit-mal (absence seizure) where a person may appear to be just 'day-dreaming' for a short while. The brain controls intelligence, personality, mood, memory, sensations, movement and consciousness and any of these functions may be disturbed during the course of a seizure. A seizure may look frightening but rarely causes any damage to the brain.

• Anyone of any social class, nationality, ethnic group, sex, or age can have epilepsy. There can be specific causes for epilepsy such as brain damage at birth, a severe blow to the head, a stroke, meningitis, or, rarely, a brain tumour, but in 6 out of 10 cases people with epilepsy are perfectly healthy and no underlying disease can be found that would cause them to have a seizure.

• Epilepsy is not in any way linked with mental illness or learning disability and throughout history and today there are many famous people with the condition.  It is a fact that, although epilepsy does affect both sexes, males are more prone to the condition than females though the reason for this is not known. Also, although epilepsy can affect anyone of any age, more people develop the condition during childhood/adolescence or over the age of 60.

• Research has discovered that some forms of epilepsy can be linked to the inheritance of specific genes which might help in part to explain why sometimes members of the same family are affected by the condition. However, for most people there is no family history of the condition at all.

• There is at the present time no known cure for epilepsy but new drugs have been developed over the last few decades which allow many people to live full, active and virtually seizure-free lives. Some drugs work by making over-active brain cells less excitable whilst others decrease the brain cells' ability to transmit abnormal impulses to each other.

• There is a growing body of opinion that alternative therapies such as homeopathy, herbalism and Bio-feedback can help to improve the condition of people with epilepsy. Aromatherapy, by helping to remove stress, can also be helpful.

• Nowadays much is written about the importance of life-style in relation to avoiding conditions such as heart disease, stroke and cancer. A healthy and balanced life-style is very important for anyone with epilepsy to help minimise the risk of seizures.

• Asthma and Diabetes are two common conditions that are known to carry risks. Epilepsy also carries risks and there are approximately 1000 deaths a year in the U.K. from either an accident as the result of a seizure or from a little known syndrome called Sudden Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP).  However, it is a fact that most people with epilepsy whose seizures are well controlled are not at risk of dying from epilepsy.

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Published on: 2007-05-14 (3817 reads)