Epilepsy Talk
Is Epilepsy Inherited?
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Just because you have a parent, sibling, cousin or aunt who has epilepsy doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll have it also.
In fact, if you have a close relative with epilepsy, the chance of you having epilepsy is only about 2-5%, depending on the specific type of epilepsy.
Tags: Epilepsy, family risk, genetic abnormalities, genetic testing, Research, seizure threshold, seizure-free, seizures
Epilepsy Quotes to Inspire You…
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With the new year upon us, I thought you might enjoy some positivity to carry you through the year.
Wishing you a new year of health and happiness, love and light, every day of 2019.
Here are some quotes that have inspired me:
Epilepsy and Romance — Getting Personal
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Romance is so many different things to different people.
But to me, intimacy requires acceptance, faith and loyalty.
The question is; how do you get there?
Especially when you have epilepsy?
Well for me, it was a very rocky road.
Tags: acceptance, disappointment, Epilepsy, faith, friendship, honesty, love, personal, romance, sex, trust
Epilepsy Versus “Pseudo-Seizures”
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Epilepsy is not a dirty word. Neither is pseudo-seizures.
But they both coexist, side by side.
One of the most common complications is the misconception that people who suffer from pseudo-seizures are hypochondriacs, hysterics, or “faking it.”
The name for the condition alone, “pseudo-seizures,” perpetuates that misunderstanding.
The term “pseudo-seizures” is extremely misleading. The seizures are quite real, and people who have then do not have conscious, voluntary control over them.
Epilepsy and Education…Coming Out Of The Shadows
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It starts in the playground. A kid has a seizure and everybody freaks out.
Nobody knows what to do. Maybe not even the school nurse.
Even though epilepsy first aid is a cinch.
It’s frightening to see a child seize and then, based on that fright, they think:
“I can’t deal with this.”
Tags: children, colleagues, discrimination, educate, employers, EMTs, Epilepsy, firemen, hospital staff, ignorance, judges, Legislators, nurses, parents, police, prison wardens, resources, teachers
Where’s The Funding? Epilepsy As An Orphan
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Here are the facts, unhappy though they may be…
Epilepsy is the 4th most common neurological problem – only migraine, stroke, and Alzheimer’s disease occurs more frequently.
Its prevalence is greater than autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease combined.
As many people die from epilepsy as from breast cancer.
There are 200,000 new cases of epilepsy each year, and a total of more than 3 million Americans are affected by it.
Yet, public and private funding for epilepsy research lags far behind other neurological afflictions, at $35 a patient (compared, for instance, with $129 for Alzheimer’s and $280 for multiple sclerosis).
Gratitude is the Attitude…
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Sometimes, I get into a funk so bad that it’s like a black hole.
Until I remember the safety ladder that I always carry in my pocket.
I think of at least five things I’m grateful for.
Or if I’m down there awhile, I stretch it to ten.
Here are the top five on my gratitude list:
Stevens-Johnson Syndrome — a danger for those on Dilantin or Lamictal
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This article is not for those with a weak stomach. Because Stevens-Johnson Syndrome is an ugly and sometimes deadly disease.
But if you are on Dilantin or Lamictal, I urge you to read this information.
According to the Mayo Clinic: Stevens-Johnson Syndrome is a rare, serious condition, thought to be caused by a disorder of your immune system.
Tags: dangerous, Dilantin, Epilepsy, Lamictal, rare, Research, skin shedding, sometimes deadly, Stevens-Johnson Syndrome
Dilantin — What People Are Saying…
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When I was first diagnosed with epilepsy back in 1969, the availability of AEDs was limited.
Phenobarbital or Dilantin.
Pick your poison.
I chose Dilantin. It was not a pretty picture.
Tags: bone density, dangers, Dilantin, Epilepsy, health issues, side effects, Stevens-Johnson Syndrome
Autoimmune Epilepsy — Cause of Previously Unexplained Seizures?
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Antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) are the mainstay of treatment for epilepsy, but seizures continue in one-third of patients despite appropriate AED therapeutic trials.
Even in the current era, the etiology of epilepsy often remains unclear.
Some patients with unexplained partial seizures which are medication resistant may have “autoimmune epilepsy” — epilepsy characterized by autoimmune antibodies.
Although autoimmune epilepsy is still rare, it’s become an increasingly recognized cause of epilepsy, which might have been previously thought to be of unknown cause.
What is the immune system and what are the types of immune disorders?
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