Epilepsy
Epilepsy is one of the Nation's Most Common Disabling Neurological Conditions. It is a general term that includes various types of seizures. People with diagnosed epilepsy have had more than one seizure, and they may have had more than one kind of seizure. A seizure happens when abnormal electrical activity in the brain causes an involuntary change in body movement or function, sensation, awareness, or behavior.
People of all ages are affected, but particularly the very young and the elderly. About 10% of Americans will experience a seizure sometime during their lifetime, and about 3% will have had a diagnosis of epilepsy by age 80.
The goal of eliminating seizures, while at the same time preventing side effects from treatment, is achievable for most people with epilepsy. However, most areas of the country do not have the organized systems of care necessary to provide needed service, and support for all people with epilepsy.
More research is needed on epilepsy, in particular on how the causes, frequency, and severity of the condition differ among age groups, races, and communities.
People with epilepsy often struggle to overcome low self-esteem and the stigma that is attached to having epilepsy. The stigma is due in part to a lack of understanding by people they see every day - family members, schoolmates, colleagues. Some people mistakenly believe that epilepsy is a form of mental illness or mental retardation, that seizures are something to fear, that drastic first aid measures must be taken to help someone having a seizure, or that people with epilepsy cannot be valuable and productive employees. Public education is needed to eliminate these misconceptions.