Epilepsy: Dispelling the Myth

By Jane Myer, Program Director, Epilespy Foundation South Central WI

More than two million people in the United States have epilepsy. Most of them lead normal, active lives. While there may be many challenges to life with epilepsy, and many frustrations too, for most people it is possible to go weeks, months and even years without seizures.

What is epilepsy?
Epilepsy is a brain disorder characterized by recurrent seizures. Some cases of epilepsy are inherited. In recent years molecular biologists have identified a number of abnormal genes, each responsible for a different type of epilepsy. A variety of insults to the brain can also result in epilepsy, such as a birth injury, a head injury, an infection in the brain, or a brain tumor. However, in approximately 50% of the cases, a cause cannot be found.

What is a seizure?
A seizure is an abnormal electrical discharge of a group of neurons in the brain. Seizures can produce a variety of symptoms, depending on the location of the seizure focus and the spread of the electrical activity through the brain.

Epilepsy is a complex disorder, manifesting itself in many forms. Even though medical progress has brought normal living within reach of the overwhelming majority of people with epilepsy, the public's reluctance to part with the myths and misconceptions of the past still pose a major problem. Following are six common myths that still linger on:

Myth #1 – Epilepsy is contagious.

You simply cannot catch epilepsy from another person!

Myth #2 – You can swallow your tongue during a seizure.

It's physically impossible to swallow your tongue. In fact, you should never place something into the mouth of someone having a seizure. That is a good way to break teeth, cut the gums, break the jaw or even cause choking.

Myth #3 – People with epilepsy are disabled and can't work.

People with the condition have no more or less range of abilities and intelligence as the general population. Some individuals may have severe seizures and be unable to work; others are successful and productive in challenging careers. People with seizure disorders are found in all walks of life at all levels of business, government, the arts, and the professions.

Myth # 4 – People with epilepsy look different.

Unless someone with epilepsy is actually having a seizure, there is no way that his or her condition can be detected.

Myth #5 – Epilepsy is a form of mental illness.

Epilepsy is an umbrella term covering about twenty different types of seizure disorders. It is a functional, physical problem, not a mental one.

Myth #6 – With today's medication, epilepsy is largely a solved problem.

Epilepsy is a chronic medical problem that for many people can be successfully treated. Unfortunately, treatment doesn't work for everyone and there's a critical need for more research.

The truth is epilepsy is a fairly common disorder that can happen to anybody at any time. In the vast majority of cases, epilepsy should not be a barrier to a normal, productive life. It is too often people's misconceptions about epilepsy which create the disability, not epilepsy itself.

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