L’epilepsy is far from being a marginal disease since it is the third most common neurological disease in our country after migraine (7 million patients) and Alzheimer’s disease (800,000 cases). Despite everything, epileptics live in fear of the next crisis and in fear of being judged by those around them.
Because epileptic seizures can occur at any time and manifest themselves in many ways, sometimes impressive: jerky movements, visual or auditory hallucinations, feelings of sadness, loss of consciousness…
Those around epileptics can be disconcerted by these sudden seizures and ignorance of the disease can lead them to judge the epileptic as “crazy”. However, there is nothing. Epilepsy is actually a disorder of brain function. Crises are due to a set of internal and external factors (vascular disorders, accidents, etc.), favored by various stimuli (stress, alcohol, fatigue, etc.).
In 60% of cases, this disease can be controlled with drug treatment, but some patients do not respond favorably to these treatments. It is in any case to make the general public aware of this disease that a European Epilepsy Day is organized on 10 February. The opportunity to break the taboo on this disease.
To learn more about the program: www.lfce.fr
