Health and Social CareEpilepsy – Quiz/Question/Fact Session

What is Epilepsy?Epilepsy is a brain disorder

occurring when electrical signals in the brain are disrupted

This change leads to a seizure which can cause changes in a person's:

Body movementsAwarenessEmotionsSenses, such as taste, smell, vision,

or hearing

Question One Is epilepsy rare?Epilepsy affects over 50 million

people worldwide and is the most common neurological condition

Question Two Is epilepsy a psychological

condition?Epilepsy is a medical conditionSeizures are the result of an

excessive and disorderly discharge of electrical energy in the brain

Question Three Is it a mental condition?Epilepsy is a functional, physical

problem, not a mental one Its an umbrella term that

describes about twenty different types of seizure disorders

Question FourAre people with epilepsy called

‘epileptics’?Persons with epilepsy are

individuals who experience chronic, recurrent seizures and prefer being described as "persons with epilepsy“

Question FiveDo you have to be born with

epilepsy?Epilepsy often first appears in

children and young adults, although anyone can develop epilepsy at any time

Question Six Is epilepsy is a lifelong disorder?Epilepsy is not necessarily a

lifelong disorderMany persons with epilepsy will

not have seizures or require medication all of their lives

Question SevenCan epilepsy be prevented?While no specific cause can be

pinpointed in a majority of epilepsy cases, some causes (e.g. severe head injuries experienced in falling from a bicycle or sustained in an automobile accident) have been identified

This is why helmet safety is important for children as a preventive measure

Question EightCan epilepsy be cured?There is no known cure for

epilepsyModern treatment methods can

achieve full control of seizures in a majority of cases

Some children can outgrow the condition

Question Nine Is epilepsy a disease?Epilepsy is a neurological condition

characterized by recurring seizures

Epilepsy is not a disease and it does not signal emotional instability or lack of intelligence

Question Ten Are all seizures the same? There are more than 20 forms of

seizure disorders The intensity and duration of the

seizure depends on how many and what type of brain cells are affected

Seizures are not painful and range from convulsions to momentary lapses of attention

People with mild seizures may even be unaware they’ve had one

Seizures may occur minutes, days or years apart, depending on how well they are controlled by medication