The 26th Of March Marks International Epilepsy Day

The 26th of March marks the International Epilepsy Awareness Day.

As you know, the 26^th of March marks the International Purple Day or Epilepsy awareness day. During this time, spokespersons from all around the world gather to talk about the importance of knowing and understanding the condition.

Did you know that there over 40 documented types of epilepsy? It’s a common myth that all patients with this condition are triggered by strobing lights or have violent seizures. According to a short presentation clip made by the Epilepsy Society, a non-profit organization whose mandate is to raise awareness on this condition, sometimes the signs of epilepsy are so subtle that even the trained eye might mistake them for speech impediments or nervous twitching.

Now, as the short videos states, epilepsy is a complex neurological condition, which means it affects the nervous system and the brain. Although the exact cause of this condition remains hidden, medical researchers have determined that it might be caused by an electrical imbalance in our brains, similar to a short-circuit.

As we’ve mentioned before, the purpose of the Purple Day is to raise awareness on the condition which means, among other things, to learn how to interact and, if necessary, how to help people diagnosed with this condition.

Probably one of the most useful things taught by the short presentation video is about knowing what causes an epileptic seizure. According to another non-profit society called Epilepsy Acction, there are several known factors that may cause an epileptic seizure.

The most common of them are alcohol, tiredness, high levels of stress, menstruation, forgetting to eat, and, of course, omitting or refusing to take the epilepsy management medication prescribed by the doctor.

The specialists declared that the best way to help a friend or even a family member deal with the condition is to have a long and nice chat about some of the things that might trigger his or her seizures. Now, the second-best thing taught by the presentation video is how to determine if someone has an epileptic seizure in front of you.

This is a challenging endeavor as no two people with epilepsy exhibit the same symptoms. Although he knew that some forms of epilepsy can cause violent seizures and loss of consciousness, not all of them manifest in the same manner.

In fact, in most cases, patients can remain conscious, save for a subtle twitch and a feeling of disorientation. Now, according to the doctors, the symptoms generally associated with epilepsy are confusion, muscle stiffness, patient staring blankly, lack of response, and repetitive movements such as blinking or lip tremor.

Image source: Purple Day

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Tara Hamilton

Tara has graduated from the University of Oregon, with bachelors degree in Spanish Literature in 2010. She lived in Miami for one year and travelled extensively before settling down in El Paso.