More than 2 million people in the United States have some form of epilepsy. Over 3,000 people on Maryland's Eastern Shore have the condition. About 150,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. Therefore, it is important for everyone to understand the basic facts about epilepsy, and to avoid the common myths associated with the condition. Epilepsy is a controllable condition caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain resulting in temporary seizures.
Epilepsy is actually an umbrella term covering about twenty different types of seizure disorders.
A seizure is a disturbance in the electrical activity of the brain. Partial - begin with a discharge of neurons in just one part of the brain. There are many less common types of seizures. Seizures may be frequent or rare. They may last a second or several minutes.