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.
The risk in the general population is about 1-2%.
On the other hand, there is a 92-98% chance for the close relative of someone with epilepsy to NOT have the same condition!
So, even though the risk in families with epilepsy is higher than in the general population, most people with epilepsy do not have any relatives with seizures, and the great majority of parents with epilepsy do not have children with epilepsy.
Tags: Epilepsy, family risk, genetic abnormalities, genetic testing, Research, seizure threshold, seizure-free, seizures
Sodium and Seizures
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You may think that sodium is a “bad guy” to be avoided or reduced at all cost, because too much is linked to high blood pressure.
But sodium is actually an essential electrolyte, and a deficiency can trigger seizures.
Seizures from low sodium levels are most likely to occur from a serious disease, acute infection or because you tried to run a marathon on a hot day.
One-time or isolated seizures from these causes don’t warrant a diagnosis of epilepsy.
However, epilepsy is sometimes misdiagnosed and you may have an underlying health condition that’s causing an electrolyte problem.
Tags: balance, blood panel, coma, death, high sodium, low sodium, monitoring, seizures, sodium
Domestic Violence — When Love Goes Wrong
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Carol found herself in a cycle of violence from the time she was a child. By adulthood, she had already experienced multiple beatings and hospitalizations.
In the most recent attack, her husband beat her with a board, leaving her with permanent brain damage and a life-long disability.
As a result of her injury, she now has frequent seizures, difficulty with balance, and is terrified to leave her home for fear of having a seizure or falling.
If You’re Thinking Of Getting Pregnant…
3 Comments
Years ago, women who had epilepsy were often discouraged from getting pregnant. Today, that’s no longer the case.
Thanks to early and regular prenatal care, more than 90 percent of pregnant women who have epilepsy deliver healthy babies, according to the Epilepsy Foundation.
Tags: AEDS, breastfeeding, Epilepsy, Folic Acid, Neurologist, obstetrician, pre-natal care, pregnancy, safety, seizures, single medication, Tips, Vitamin K
What Most Offends YOU About How People Treat Epilepsy?
42 Comments
I call epilepsy the “stealth condition,” because most people don’t actually witness a seizure.
Which results in an abundance of ignorance…misinformation..and to be frank, discrimination and slurs.
Tags: achievement, advocate, behavior, discrimination, Epilepsy, ignorance, misinformation, oblivious, pariah, seizures, slurs, stigma
Why Won’t You Play With Me?
14 Comments
Once upon a time there was this girl named Ellen.
She had epilepsy and she hated the world.
So the world hated her back.
She had no friends and didn’t speak to anybody.
In turn, nobody spoke to her. Except the occasional bully.
Popular TV Dramas Portray First Aid For Seizures Inaccurately…
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This enlightening (and scary) article came from “Medical News Today”…
“Research from Canada shows that almost half of the time, doctors and nurses on popular TV medical dramas respond inappropriately to seizures, suggesting that watching TV is not the best way to learn what to do if you are present when someone has a seizure.
Sleep and Seizures
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Sleepless nights. Exhausted afternoons. Confusion. Memory loss. Trouble with concentration, mood swings and of course, seizures.
Which may increase in frequency or severity. Or may even contribute to intractable seizures. It seems like an endless cycle.
For people with epilepsy, sleep problems are a double-edged sword; epilepsy disturbs sleep and sleep deprivation aggravates epilepsy.
The Great Debate — Medical Marijuana
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Even though the cannabis plant has a long history of medicinal use, with evidence dating back to 2,737 BCE, it’s still a subject of hot controversy.
It appears to be a standing battle between politics and science.
The legality requires proof of medical marijuana’s effectiveness.
Reports of success are anecdotal.
Yet there are no funds for clinical trials and it remains on a back burner for further NIH funding and research.
(Wow. What a surprise!)
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