Today, more than 2 million Americans are affected by epilepsy, and more than 190 million people worldwide are also affected. It is not a disabling disorder. There has been a surge of new drugs, treatments, and public awareness that has marked a new era for epilepsy research. For some, seizures interfere dramatically with lifestyle for both the individual and for the family. Nonetheless, people with epilepsy continue to work and pave their way through society with the help of programs and services provided by the Epilepsy Foundation of Western Wisconsin .
Epilepsy is a general term used to describe many different types of seizure disorders.
Epilepsy is not a disease, it is a disorder, and it affects the brain. Epilepsy is a chronic malfunction of the brain that often results in the tendency to have seizures. There are more than 30 different types of seizures that may give signs of epilepsy. Yet not all seizures indicate that a person has epilepsy. A single seizure that does not reoccur is not classified as epilepsy.