November is epilepsy awareness month

November 27, 11:51 AMHartford Special Needs Kids ExaminerDanna Mann

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Epilepsy is the most common serious neurological  condition in the world.  More than two million people, that’s 1 in every 100, have experienced a seizure or have been diagnosed with epilepsy.  Having a seizure does not by itself mean a person has epilepsy. Many people have a single seizure at some point in their lives. Unless the person has suffered brain damage or there is a family history of epilepsy or other neurological abnormalities, these single seizures usually are not followed by additional seizures.

Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder that is characterized by recurrent unprovoked seizures. These seizures are transient signs and/or symptoms due to abnormal, excessive or synchronous neuronal activity in the brain. About 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy at any one time. Epilepsy is usually controlled, but not cured, with medication, although surgery may be considered in difficult cases. However, over 30% of people with epilepsy do not have seizure control even with the best available medications . Not all epilepsy syndromes are lifelong; some forms are confined to particular stages of childhood. Epilepsy should not be seen as a single disorder, but rather as a group of syndromes with different symptoms but all involving the same episodic abnormal electrical activity in the brain.

Seizures can last from a few seconds to a few minutes. They can have many symptoms, from convulsions and loss of consciousness to some that are not always recognized as seizures by the person experiencing them. Such as blank staring, lip smacking, or jerking movements of arms and legs.  There are many different types of seizures. The kind of seizure a person has depends on which part and how much of the brain is affected by the electrical disturbance that produces seizures.

There are many different ways to treat epilepsy. For about 80% of those diagnosed with epilepsy, seizures can be controlled with medicines and surgical techniques. However, about 20% of people with epilepsy will continue to experience seizures even with the best available treatment.   Once epilepsy is diagnosed, it is important to begin treatment as soon as possible. Research suggests that medication and other treatments may be less successful in treating epilepsy once seizures become established.

Lack of affordable health care is one of our nations largest problems. Health insurance policies are expensive, especially for people with pre-existing conditions such as epilepsy. Although people with epilepsy have always had trouble obtaining affordable health care, the problem is growing. One way many health insurance providers are cutting costs is to limit coverage for certain conditions such as epilepsy.

The Epilepsy Foundation is an advocate for people with epilepsy. The Foundation has been active in Congress, the executive branch, and the courts, focusing attention on the needs of those with epilepsy. Priorities for the Foundation include the availability of affordable quality health care, the search for the cure, and the protection of civil rights for people with epilepsy.

If you would like to help support research grants to help find better treatments and eventually a cure please visit The Epilepsy Foundation.  For local support visit Epilepsy Foundation Connecticut or The Connecticut Study of Epilepsy