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The World He alth Organization (WHO) estimates that epilepsy affects approximately 50 million people. The primary symptom in most people is epileptic seizures. These are spikes in electrical activity in the brain. It has been found that the stigmatizing nature of epilepsy and the associated psychological stress have a significant impact on the quality of life of people with epilepsy. Here are 13 myths about epilepsy.
In addition to coping with seizures, people with epilepsy often have to deal with stigma. One of the ways to understand the problem and reduce unpleasant reactions to epileptic seizures is to raise public awareness. Here are 13 myths about epilepsy.
1. Anyone with seizures has epilepsy
Epilepsy is caused by an abnormal electrical activity in the brain. Low blood sugar or problems with the functioning of the heart can cause non-epileptic seizures. The most common form of non-epileptic seizures are dissociative seizures or psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES). PNES is associated with a number of factors, including mental illness and trauma. It is worth noting that an estimated 10 percent. people with PNES also have seizures.
2. People with epilepsy cannot work
It's a myth. People with epilepsy or those with seizures can work while these seizures are controlled. There are only a few cases where seizures disqualify people from work, including being a pilot and truck driver.
3. Epilepsy is contagious
This is an old myth that is unfortunately still common, especially in some parts of the world, but doesn't really have any basis - epilepsy is not contagious.
Identifying the cause of an attack is difficult. According to WHO, the cause of the disease is still unknown in about 50%. cases around the world.
Some potential causes of epilepsy are:
- brain damage that occurred during or shortly after birth,
- genetic defects of the brain,
- serious head injuries,
- stroke,
- brain infections, such as meningitis or encephalitis,
- some genetic syndromes,
- brain tumor.
4. People with epilepsy are emotionally unstable
Epilepsy is associated with countless negative opinions about the mental stateman with epilepsy. Some of these include the theory that people with this condition are more likely to experience "emotional instability". This is not true.
Although the awareness that an attack may occur at any moment is quite overwhelming, as a rule, patients with seizure disorders are happy people. Most cases of epilepsy are easily controlled.
5. Epilepsy is a mental illness
Epilepsy is not a mental illness. The vast majority of people living with epilepsy do not have cognitive or psychological problems. Most of the psychological problems in epilepsy are confined to people with severe and uncontrolled epilepsy.
6. All people with epilepsy become unconscious and have convulsions during epileptic seizures
Not all epilepsy patients become unconscious and have seizures during a seizure. There are over 40 different types of seizures. What a seizure looks like may vary.
7. If someone has a seizure, something should be shoved into their mouth
This is a dangerous myth. May damage teeth or jaw.
8. It's best to stop someone from attacking
This is another common myth. Most seizures last for 30 to 90 seconds and there is no reason to stop a patient from having a seizure. The hallmark of a seizure is that it cannot be suppressed, which means that the symptoms do not stop when we try to stop them.
9. Seizures are painful
Pain during a seizure is rare. In one study, just 0.9% of 5,133 patients reported having experienced panic pain.
However, some people may feel pain after an attack. This can be caused by a fall or an injury during a fall, or due to prolonged muscle contractions. Some people may experience a headache before, during, or after an attack.
10. Strobe lights always trigger epileptic seizures in people with epilepsy
Only people with photosensitive epilepsy are at risk of attack when exposed to strobe lights. Photosensitive epilepsy accounts for only 5 percent. cases of epilepsy. In these people, it is not only strobe lighting that can trigger a seizure. Other visual stimuli, such as moving patterns and shapes, can also trigger them.
11. Women with epilepsy should not get pregnant
While it is not true that doctors consider pregnancies in people with seizures a high risk. This means that women with epilepsy are simply more likely to visit their doctor's office to monitor their pregnancy. During this period, it is also worth being under the supervision of a neurologist.
12. People swallow their tongues often during a seizure
This is a myth - vin fact, under no circumstances can one swallow the tongue. It is possible to bite your mouth or tongue.
13. No treatment helps with epilepsy
Fortunately, this is another myth. There is no cure for epilepsy, but many treatments are available. For many people, anti-epileptic drugs are effective in preventing seizures. About 7 in 10 people with epilepsy do not have seizures if they take the correct medications.
Large-scale research into epilepsy is still ongoing, and the number of treatment and seizure prevention options is gradually increasing.