Epilepsy is a disorder of the central nervous system often caused by abnormal electrical discharges that develop into seizures. The following are additional facts on epilepsy and seizures:
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More people live with epilepsy than autism, spectrum disorders, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis and cerebral palsy combined.
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You can’t swallow your tongue during a seizure. It is physically impossible.
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You should never force something into the mouth of someone having a seizure.
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Don’t restrain someone having a seizure.
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Epilepsy is not contagious .
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Anyone can develop epilepsy.
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Epilepsy is not rare.
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1 in 26 Americans will develop epilepsy in their lifetime.
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An estimated 3 million Americans and 65 million people worldwide live with epilepsy.
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In 2/3 of patients diagnosed with epilepsy, the cause is unknown.
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Up to 50,000 deaths occur annually in the U.S. from status epilepticus (prolonged seizures). (SUDEP) and other seizure-related causes such as drowning and other accidents.
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Between 4 and 10 out of 1,000 people on earth live with active seizures.
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3.4 million people in the United States have epilepsy.
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Epilepsy is not contagious
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1/3 of people diagnosed with epilepsy have uncontrolled seizures because the available treatment does not work.
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SUDEP accounts for 34% of all sudden deaths in children.
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Epilepsy costs the U.S. approximately 15.5 billion each year.
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A seizure is a transient disruption of brain function due to abnormal and excessive electrical discharges in brain cells.
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Epilepsy is a disease of the brain that predisposes a person to excessive electrical discharges in the brain cell.
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It is diagnosed when 2 or more unprovoked seizures have occurred.
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It must be at least 2 unprovoked seizures more than 24 hours apart.
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About 14% have simple partial seizures.
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36% have complex partial seizures.
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5% have tonic-clonic seizures.
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Seizures can be caused by head trauma, stokes, brain tumor and a brain infection.
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Causes are unknown in 60 to 70% of cases.
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The prevalence is 1% of the U.S. population.
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Approximately 2.2 to 3 million in the U.S. have seizures.
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It affects all ages, socioeconomic and racial groups.
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Incidents are higher in children and older adults.
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Seizures can range from momentarily blanks to loss of awareness
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Almost 150,000 people in the U.S. develop epilepsy every year.
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No gender is likely to develop than others.
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1/3 of individuals with autism spectrum disorders also have epilepsy.
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The prevalence of epilepsy in people with an intellectual disability is higher than the general population.
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It takes up to 5 times more energy for a person with epilepsy to complete even the most simple task.