10/11/2022
Epilepsy awarness month.
November is National Epilepsy Awareness Month. Recognized by Congress since 2003, the Epilepsy Foundation has since promoted its importance to bring awareness to the incurable disease.
Epilepsy is a neurological disorder that causes seizures and affects people differently. The severity and frequency of a person’s seizures generally determine the overall impact on their life.
While some common causes of epilepsy include strokes, brain tumors, infections, and traumatic brain injuries, about 70% of cases have no known cause – it can be very difficult to treat and challenging for patients to live with.
-1 in 26 people will develop epilepsy in their lifetime
-3.4 million Americans have epilepsy
-470,000 children in the USA have epilepsy
-150,000 people are diagnosed per year
-Seizures can look very different, ranging from staring spells to collapsing
-Seizures range in duration from a few seconds to a few minutes
-Other medical conditions can accompany epilepsy like cerebral palsy
When someone has a seizure
-Stay calm. Seizures are common and usually only last a few minutes
-Stay with the person until the seizure is over
-Put something soft under their head
-Turn the person on their side to keep airways clear
-Make sure onlookers stay calm and stay off to the side
-See if the person has any type of emergency info on them, such as a medical bracelet
-When the seizure is over, help the person to a safe place to talk
-Comfort them by calmly explaining what just happened
-Ask if they know their name
-Offer to call a loved one or a taxi to get them home safely
-Call 911 if the seizure lasts 5 minutes or more, if they are pregnant, or if they have more than one seizure.
DON'T
-Don't hold the person down
-Don't try to stop their movements
-Don't put anything in their mouth — they cannot swallow their tongue
-Don't attempt mouth-to-mouth — they will usually start breathing again on their own
-Don't try to give them food or water until they are fully alert
Show support
-Share your story using
-Reach out to local or national government officials
-Donate or raise funds for epilepsy research
-Follow the Epilepsy Foundation https://www.facebook.com/EpilepsyFoundationofAmerica
