Epilepsy Myths and Facts

Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disease that constitutes abnormal brain activity resulting in seizures, unusual behavior, and disorientation. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), this disease affects around 50 million people around the world. One in 50 people will also have epilepsy at some point in their life.

To provide a diagnosis for epilepsy, physicians conduct an electroencephalogram (EEG) test which is a noninvasive procedure designed to measure electrical activity in the brain using small electrodes attached to the patient’s scalp.

Are you at risk for epilepsy? You’re likely to suffer from the illness based on:

• Age: epilepsy is common in children and older adults

• Family history

• Stroke and other vascular diseases

• Dementia

• Brain infections

• Seizures during childhood

While seizures are common in sufferers of epilepsy, not everyone who experienced a seizure has epilepsy. Here are some of the other common myths and facts surrounding epilepsy that you may not know about.

• Myth: You will swallow your tongue during a seizure.

• Fact: It’s physically impossible to do that.

• Myth: You should put something into the mouth of someone having a seizure

• Fact: Doing this could hurt the person. You should gently roll them onto one side and put something soft under their head until they regain consciousness.

• Myth: You need to restrain someone having a seizure

• Fact: Holding them down can cause a bone or muscular injury.

• Myth: Epilepsy is contagious

• Fact: You can’t catch it from another person!

• Myth: People with epilepsy are mentally ill

• Fact: Epilepsy is a functional and physical problem, not a mental one. It also has many unidentifiable causes.

• Myth: Epilepsy can’t be controlled effectively

• Fact: Epileptic seizures can be controlled in almost 70% of sufferers. There are various ways to treat and minimize epilepsy, including surgery depending on which part of the brain the epilepsy originated from.

World Citi Med’s Neurodiagnostics Center provides testing services for patients of all ages that might have potential neurological disorders.

To know more or schedule your test, please contact the Neurodiagnostic Center at (02) 89138385 loc. 172 or visit the Department at Ground Floor of World Citi Med Center, Room 169. 

You can also connect with us via Messenger at World Citi Medical Center for further concerns.