Epilepsy

DisclaimerThis page is not here to be used as a self-diagnosis, self-identification, or promotion - it's simply here to be informational. Whether or not one self-diagnoses, self-identifies, and/or seeks a professional diagnosis is up to them.

### Umbrella

Neurological Disorder Umbrella/Epilepsy Umbrella

## Discovery/identification information

### Discoverer(s)

Babylonians (ancient civilization in modern-day Iraq)

## Other information

### Approximated diagnosises

3.5 million (U.S.)65 million (worldwide)

**Epilepsy** is a neurological disorder in which brain activity becomes abnormal, causing seizures or periods of unusual sensations and sometimes loss of awareness. Seizures symptoms can vary widely, some simply stare blankly for a few seconds during seizures, while others repeatedly twitch their arms and legs. Having a single seizure doesn't necessarily mean that one has epilepsy.

## Epilepsy Symbols

The hippocampus is the site of the epileptic focus in some people with epilepsy, so for many years, the seahorse was the symbol of Epilepsy Society. 12. Purple is the colour of epilepsy which is why Cassidy Megan, a young girl with epilepsy from Nova Scotia, Canada created Purple Day- and the seahorse is another symbol for epilepsy— because hippocampus is assumed to be Greek or Latin for seahorse.

Campi is the International Epilepsy Day mascot, who is a cute little seahorse who happens to have epilepsy. He appears in a show where a school of fish get together for a class and suddenly Campi has a seizure. No other info about the show has been gathered, but we are working on it.

## Types of Seizures

### Focal Seizures

Focal seizures are when seizures appear to result from abnormal activity in just one area of the brain.

#### Focal seizures without loss of consciousness

Focal seizures without the loss of consciousness means that seizures may alter emotions and change the way things look, smell, feel, taste or sound. Some individuals experience deja vu. This type of seizure may also result in jerking of one body part and spontaneous sensory symptoms such as tingling and dizziness.

#### Focal seizures with impaired awareness

Focal seizures with impaired awareness involve a change or loss of consciousness or awareness. This type of seizure may seem like being in a dream. During a focal seizure with impaired awareness, one may stare into space and not respond normally to the environment or perform repetitive movements.

### Generalized Seizures

Generalized seizures are seizures that appear to involve all areas of the brain.

#### Absence Seizures

Absence Seizures typically occur in children. They're characterized by staring into space with or without subtle body movements and only last between 5-10 seconds. These seizures may occur in clusters, happening as often as 100 times per day, and cause a brief loss of awareness.

#### Tonic Seizures

Tonic Seizures cause stiff muscles and may affect consciousness. These seizures usually affect the muscles in ones back, arms and legs and may cause one to fall to the ground.

#### Atonic Seizures

Atonic Seizures, also known as Drop Seizures, cause a loss of muscle control. It often causes one to suddenly collapse because it most often affects the legs.

#### Clonic Seizures

Clonic Seizures are associated with repeated or rhythmic muscle movements. These seizures usually affect the neck, face and arms.

#### Myoclonic Seizures

Myoclonic Seizures usually appear as sudden, brief jerks or twitches and usually affect the upper body.

#### Tonic-clonic Seizures

Tonic-clonic Seizures can cause an abrupt loss of consciousness and body stiffening, twitching and shaking. They sometimes cause a loss of bladder control or biting ones tongue.

## Causes

Epilepsy has no identifiable cause in about half of the individuals with the condition. In the other half, the condition may be traced to various factors.

* Genetic influence.
* Head trauma.
* Brain abnormalities.
* Infections.
* Prenatal injury.
* Developmental disorders

## Signs & Symptoms

Because epilepsy is caused by abnormal brain activity, seizures can affect any process the brain coordinates.

* Temporary confusion.
* A staring spell.
* Stiff muscles.
* Uncontrollable jerking movements of arms and legs.
* Loss of consciousness or awareness.
* Psychological symptoms such as fear, anxiety or deja vu.

Symptoms vary depending on the type of seizure, an individual will tend to have the same type of seizure each time, so the symptoms will be similar from episode to episode.

### Diagnosis

At least two seizures without a known trigger that happen at least 24 hours apart are generally required for an epilepsy diagnosis.

Symptoms of focal seizures may be confused with other neurological disorders. A thorough examination and testing are needing to distinguish epilepsy from other disorders.

Seek immediate medical help if any of the following occurs:

* The seizure lasts more than five minutes.
* Breathing or consciousness doesn't return after the seizure stops.
* A second seizure follows immediately.
* Have a high fever.
* Are pregnant.
* Have diabetes.
* Have injured oneself during the seizure.
* Continue to have seizures even with taking anti-seizure medication.

## Treatment

Treatment with medications and sometimes surgery can control seizures for the majority of individuals with epilepsy. Some individuals may require lifelong treatment to control seizures, but for some, the seizures eventually go away. Some children with epilepsy may outgrow the condition with age.

## Known Individuals with Epilepsy

### Harriet Tubman

Harriet Tubman began having seizures after a traumatic brain injury at around 12 years old, struck on the head by a two-pound iron weight that was thrown at a fleeing slave and accidentally hit her instead. She received no medical treatment for this injury, therefore she was not officially diagnosed with epilepsy.

### Prince

Prince told PBS's Travis Smiley in an interview, "I've never spoken about this before but I was born epileptic," He's said he had seizures when he was young and that his parents didn't know how to handle it, but the singer claims his epilepsy was cured after an angel spoke to him. “One day I… said, ‘Mom, I’m not going to be sick anymore,'” he said on PBS’ “Tavis Smiley” show, “and she said, ‘Why?’, and I said, ‘Because an angel told me so.'”

### Lil Wayne

Lil Wayne first publicly shared his epilepsy in 2013 after he had a number of seizures that put him in the hospital for a week. He's had to cancel gigs and have private flights redirected because of his seizures. He had his first seizure as a child, but wasn't diagnosed due to "lack of knowledge."

### Martin Kemp

Singer and actor, Martin Kemp has lived with epilepsy since he underwent brain surgery in 1995 and has since been an advocate for raising awareness using his celebrity profile.

### Vincent Van Gogh

Doctors believed painter Vincent Van Gogh lived with temporal lobe epilepsy and bipolar disorder, according to the Van Gogh Gallery. “Temporal lobe seizures originate in the temporal lobes of your brain, which process emotions and are important for short-term memory,” according to the Mayo Clinic.

### Florence Griffith Joyner

Florence Griffith Joyner, nicknamed Flo-Jo, was an American Olympian. She died in 1998 from an epileptic seizure, which doctors then tried to contribute to Flo-Jo’s use of performance enhancing drugs, according to The New York Times. Flo-Jo passed every drug test she took and denied ever using drugs, according to CNN. “My wife took the final, ultimate drug test,” Flo-Jo’s husband, Al Joyner, said in a statement after her death.

### Susan Boyle

Singer Susan Boyle, known for her remarkable rendition of “I Dreamed A Dream,” was bullied for her health conditions and disabilities as a child, according to People magazine. “All through my childhood they’d say epilepsy is to do with mental function,” Boyle told The Daily Mail. “And now I realize it’s not.”

### Theodore & Elliot Roosevelt

Both Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States, and his lesser known brother, Elliot, had seizures throughout their lives, according to the Theodore Roosevelt Center. Elliot Roosevelt died from a seizure a few days after he attempted suicide. Despite Theodore Roosevelt’s many health conditions, he was active outdoors. He was dedicated to preserving our environment and is considered the “Conservationist President,” according to the National Park Service.

### Charles Dickens

Author Charles Dickens had epilepsy when he was a child but didn’t have seizures as an adult, according to the BC Epilepsy Society. Some prominent characters in Dickens’ books had epilepsy, including Monks in “Oliver Twist” and Bradley Headstone in “Our Mutual Friend,” according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

## References

https://epilepsysociety.org.uk/news/12-things-you-didnt-know-about-epilepsy

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/epilepsy/symptoms-causes/syc-20350093

https://www.epsyhealth.com/seizure-epilepsy-blog/did-harriet-tubman-have-epilepsy

https://people.com/celebrity/prince-talks-about-his-struggle-with-epilepsy/

https://www.epsyhealth.com/seizure-epilepsy-blog/lil-waynes-epilepsy-the-rapper-and-his-seizures

https://www.nationalepilepsytraining.co.uk/famous-people-with-epilepsy-from-music-film-and-history

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/9-famous-people-you-probably-didnt-know-had-epilepsy