National Epilepsy Day is celebrated to raise awareness about neurological disease. Epilepsy is a disorder that resulted in recurrent 'seizures' or 'fits'. The seizures are caused as a result of sudden, excessive electrical discharges in the neurons (brain cells). The condition can affect people at any age and each age group has unique concerns and problems.
According to World Health Organization (WHO), about 50 million people have epilepsy across the world, out of which 80 percent of people are living in developing countries. Although epilepsy is treatable, yet three-fourths of affected people in developing countries do not receive the required treatment. In India, about 10 million people suffer from seizures associated with epilepsy.
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According to the National Health Portal, some symptoms and causes related to this disease, have look at those here:
The symptoms of epilepsy are as follows:
- Sudden twitching (uncontrollable jerking motions of the arms and legs)
- Loss of consciousness
- Tingling sensation (feeling of pricking pins or needles) in arms or legs
- Stiffness in muscles of arms or legs or face
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And, the causes of epilepsy are:
- Brain damage from prenatal and perinatal injury
- Congenital abnormalities
- Brain Infections
- Stroke and Brain Tumours
- Head Injury/ Accidents
Here are some tips on how to deal with the disease:
- Don't panic
- Loosen any tight neckwear
- Allow the person to rest or sleep
- Put something soft pillow under his or her head
- Remove sharp objects or other harmful objects around the person
- Do not put anything into the person's mouth for the fear of swallowing the tongue
- Roll the person onto one side so that any fluid in the mouth can safely come out