Marcu
      22,
      2005
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Epilepsy
      Demystified
     
     
      Man-Sum
      Yau
     
     
      Production
      Manager
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      March
      is
      the
      month
      for
      raising
      awareness
      of
      the
      disorder
      that
      affects
     
     
      more
      than
      twice
      the
      number
      of
      people
      with
      cerebral
      palsy,
      cystic
      fibrosis,
      multiple
     
     
      sclerosis,
      and
      muscular
      dystrophy
      combined
      in
      Canada.
      Although
      epilepsy
      is
      not
     
     
      an
      uncommon
      neurological
      disorder
      with
      an
      estimated
      15,500
      new
      cases
      reported
     
     
      each
      year
      and
      an
      average
      of
      42
      people
      learning
      that
      they
      have
      epilepsy
      each
      day
     
     
      in
      Canada!
      alone,
      many
      myths
      and
      misconceptions
      have
      enshrouded
      this
     
     
      neurological
      disorder
      for
      many,
      many
      years.
     
    

    
     
      Caused
      by
      the
      brief
      interruption
      of
      normal
      brainwaves,
      epilepsy
      is
     
     
      characterized
      by
      seizures
      of
      different
      types
      including
      simple,
      sensory
      distortions
     
     
      or
      sensations;
      sudden,
      momentary
      interruptions
      of
      consciousness;
      and
      convulsions
     
     
      that
      are
      commonly
      referred
      to
      as
      epileptic
      fits*.
      For
      a
      long
      time
      in
      history,
      epileptic
     
     
      fits
      were
      associated
      with
      curses,
      witch
      craft,
      and/or
      insanity’,
      and
      many
      myths
     
     
      and
      misconceptions
      about
      epilepsy
      still
      exist
      today.
      Here
      are
      _
     
    
   
   
    
     
      10
      Common
      Myths
      &
      Misconceptions
      about
      Epilepsy
     
    
   
   
    
     
      THE
      CADRE
      @
      7
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      9)
      People
      with
      epilepsy
      are
      disabled
      and
     
     
      can’t
      work.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      10)
      People
      with
      epilepsy
      shouldn’t
      be
      in
     
     
      jobs
      of
      responsibility
      and
      stress.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      SPECIAL
      DIET).
      UNFORTUNATELY,
      TREATMENT
     
     
      DOESN’T
      WORK
      FOR
      EVERYONE,
      AND
      THERE’S
      A
     
     
      CRITICAL
      NEED
      FOR
      MORE
      RESEARCH.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      PEOPLE
      WITH
      THE
      CONDITION
      HAVE
      THE
      SAME
     
     
      RANGE
      OF
      ABILITIES
      AND
      INTELLIGENCE
      AS
      THE
     
     
      REST
      OF
      US.
      SOME
      HAVE
      SEVERE
      SEIZURES
      AND
     
     
      CANNOT
      WORK;
      OTHERS
      ARE
      SUCCESSFUL
      AND
     
     
      PRODUCTIVE
      IN
      CHALLENGING
      CAREERS.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      PEOPLE
      WITH
      SEIZURE
      DISORDERS
      ARE
      FOUND
     
     
      IN
      ALL
      WALKS
      OF
      LIFE
      AND
      AT
      ALL
      LEVELS
      IN
     
     
      BUSINESS,
      GOVERNMENT,
      THE
      ARTS,
      AND
      THE
     
     
      PROFESSIONS.
      WE
      AREN’T
      ALWAYS
      AWARE
      OF
     
     
      THEM
      BECAUSE
      MANY
      PEOPLE,
      EVEN
      TODAY,
      DO
     
     
      NOT
      TALK
      ABOUT
      HAVING
      EPILEPSY
      FOR
      FEAR
      OF
     
     
      ‘WHAT
      OTHERS
      MIGHT
      THINK.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Check
      out
      the
      list
      of
      famous
      people
      in
      history
      who
      had
      epilepsy,
      and
      for
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Myra
     
     
      1)
      Epilepsy
      is
      a
      curse.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      2)
      Epilepsy
      is
      contagious.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      3)
      Only
      kids
      get
      epilepsy.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      4)
      You
      should
      restrain
      someone
      having
      a
     
    
   
   
    
     
      5)
      You
      can
      swallow
      your
      tongue
      during
      a
     
     
      seizure.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      oo
     
    
   
   
    
     
      6)
      You
      should
      force
      something
      into
      the
     
     
      mouth
      of
      someone
      having
      a
      seizure.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      7)
      You
      can’t
      die
      from
      epilepsy.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      8)
      With
      today’s
      medication,
      epilepsy
      is
     
     
      largely
      a
      solved
      problem.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      (Compiled
      from
      www.epilepsy.ca
      &
      www.epilepsy.com)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Fact
     
     
      EPILEPSY
      HAS
      NOTHING
      TO
      DO
      WITH
      CURSES,
     
     
      POSSESSION,
      OR
      OTHER
      SUPERNATURAL
     
     
      PROCESSES,
      SUCH
      AS
      PUNISHMENT
      FOR
      PAST
      SINS.
     
     
      LIKE
      ASTHMA,
      DIABETES,
      AND
      HIGH
      BLOOD
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _
      PRESSURE,
      EPILEPSY
      IS
      A
      MEDICAL
      PROBLEM.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ABOUT
      AS
      CONTAGIOUS
      AS
      A
      GUNSHOT
      WOUND!
     
     
      YOU
      SIMPLY
      CAN’T
      CATCH
      EPILEPSY
      FROM
     
     
      ANOTHER
      PERSON.
      ~
     
    
   
   
    
     
      EPILEPSY
      HAPPENS
      TO
      PEOPLE
      OVER
      AGE
      65
     
     
      ALMOST
      AS
      OFTEN
      AS
      IT
      DOES
      TO
      CHILDREN
      AGED
     
     
      TEN
      AND
      UNDER.
      SEIZURES
      IN
      THE
      ELDERLY
      ARE
     
     
      OFTEN
      THE
      AFTER
      EFFECT
      OF
      OTHER
      HEALTH
     
     
      PROBLEMS
      LIKE
      STROKE
      AND
      HEART
      DISEASE.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      NEVER
      USE
      RESTRAINT!
      THE
      SEIZURE
      WILL
      RUN
     
     
      ITS
      COURSE,
      AND
      YOU
      CANNOT
      STOP
      IT.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      I’s
      PHYSICALLY
      IMPOSSIBLE
      TO
      SWALLOW
      YOUR
     
     
      TONGUE.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ABSOLUTELY
      NOT!
      THAT’S
      A
      GOOD
      WAY
      TO
      CHIP
     
     
      TEETH,
      PUNCTURE
      GUMS,
      OR
      EVEN
      BREAK
     
     
      SOMEONE’S
      JAW.
      THE
      CORRECT
      FIRST
      AID
      IS
     
     
      SIMPLE:
      JUST
      GENTLY
      ROLL
      THE
      PERSON
      ON
      ONE
     
     
      SIDE
      AND
      PUT
      SOMETHING
      SOFT
      UNDER
      HIS
      HEAD
     
     
      TO
      PROTECT
      HIM
      FROM
      GETTING
      INJURED.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      .
      EPILEPSY
      CAN
      BE
      A
      VERY
      SERIOUS
      CONDITION,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      AND
      INDIVIDUALS
      DO
      DIE
      OF
      IT.
      EXPERTS
     
     
      ESTIMATE
      THAT
      PROLONGED
      SEIZURES
      (STATUS
     
     
      EPILEPTICUS)
      ARE
      THE
      CAUSE
      OF
      MANY
      DEATHS
     
     
      IN
      CANADA
      EACH
      YEAR.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      EPILEPSY
      IS
      A
      CHRONIC
      MEDICAL
      PROBLEM
      THAT
     
     
      FOR
      MANY
      PEOPLE
      CAN
      BE
      SUCCESSFULLY
     
     
      TREATED
      (BY
      MEDICATION,
      SURGERY,
      OR
      A
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      more
      information,
      contact
      Epilepsy
      PEI
      Inc.,
      a
      non-profit
      organization
      offering
     
     
      information
      and
      support
      for
      people
      living
      or
      dealing
      with
      epilepsy
      in
      their
      lives:
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Epilepsy
      PEI@Yahoo.ca
     
     
      Paula
      at
      892-3274/368-7337
      or
      Dorothy
      at
      902-854-2063
     
    
   
   
    
     
      References:
     
    

    
     
      '
      www.epilepsy.ca
      (Epilepsy
      Canada)
     
    

    
     
      ?
      www.epilepsy.com
      (The
      Epilepsy
      Project)
     
     
      3
      www.en.
      wikipedia.org
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Did
      u
      know
      ALEXANDER
      THE
      Great
     
     
      NAPOLEON
      BONAPARTE
     
     
      JULIUS
      CAESAR
     
     
      Prrer
      THE
      Great
      tor
      Russia}
     
     
      SOCRATES
     
     
      (African
      American
      who
      led
      her
      fellow
      slaves
      to
      freedom
      on
      the
      Underground
      Railroad)
     
     
      (Danish
      shilosopher
      and
      father
      of
      existentilism)
     
    

    
     
      (German-borm
      composer
      of
      the
      Messiah)
     
    

    
     
      NICCOLO
      PAGANINI
     
     
      ihalian
      vielinist
      and
      composer)
     
    

    
     
      Vincent
      Van
      Gocu
     
     
      (italian
      poet,
      author
      of
      The
      Divine
      Comedy)
     
    

    
     
      {English
      poet)
     
    

    
     
      Lewis
      CARROLL
     
     
      Ce
      ee
      at
      eet
      of
      Ace's
     
    
   
   
    
     
      had
      epilepsy?
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      at
      Tiffany's