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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>HOW TO OBSERVE NATIONAL EPILEPSY AWARENESS MONTH</strong></p>

<ol>
<li>
<p><em><strong>Register for an epilepsy walk</strong></em></p>

<p>Communities all over the country will raise funds in a variety of ways including walks. One of the largest is the upcoming 2020 Epilepsy Walk at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. But wherever you choose to walk, remember that you are helping to fight a debilitating disease that affects people of all ages and ethnicities. So, put on your best sneakers and join your friends for a walk to benefit a very good cause.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><em><strong>Add a name to a Remembrance Wall</strong></em></p>

<p>The Epilepsy Foundation has a Remembrance Wall where you can add the name of a loved one who has passed away from epilepsy or its related causes. You can also establish a sort of wall on your Facebook page or Twitter feed. Ask your friends, family, and anyone else you know who has been affected by epilepsy to sign in the memory of someone else. It's a beautiful and healing thing to do.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><em><strong>Break out the purple.</strong></em></p>

<p>Each evening, let a purple light shine in your window. Tie purple ribbons around that old oak tree. Bake purple cupcakes and make purple pancakes. Wear a purple pin. Got enough ideas now?</p>
</li>
</ol>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>5 THINGS YOU NEVER KNEW ABOUT EPILEPSY</strong></p>

<ol>
<li>
<p><em><strong>Anyone can have a seizure</strong></em></p>

<p>​People with epilepsy are not the only ones to suffer seizures; your risk may increase if you have high fever, low blood sugar, are undergoing drug or alcohol withdrawal &mdash; or even if you're experiencing a concussion following head trauma.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><em><strong>​It might be random</strong></em></p>

<p>Two-thirds of people who suffer from epilepsy have no specific cause for their condition.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><em><strong>​Vincent Van Gogh may have had seizures</strong></em></p>

<p>​Art and medical historians speculate that Van Gogh's use of yellow in his paintings resulted from xanthopsia, a condition where the sufferer sees life through a yellow filter. Xanthopsia was a side effect of digitales, a medication used to treat epilepsy.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><em><strong>​It's a myth that you can swallow your tongue during a seizure</strong></em></p>

<p><em><strong>​</strong></em>When someone has a seizure, carefully roll them on their side because if you try to put something in their mouth during a seizure, the person can injure their jaw, chip teeth or damage their gums.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><em><strong>​It can be fatal</strong></em></p>

<p>People with epilepsy who fall, lose consciousness, or have lengthy successions of seizures can die.</p>
</li>
</ol>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WHY NATIONAL EPILEPSY AWARENESS MONTH IS IMPORTANT</strong></p>

<ol>
<li>
<p><em><strong>It affects the brain</strong></em></p>

<p>Epilepsy is a neurological condition in the brain that triggers seizures. Doctors believe that a brain's uncontrolled increase of excess electrical activity hampers its normal functions &mdash; causing a short interruption to messages traveling back and forth within the brain. This interruption causes epileptic seizures.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><em><strong>It causes different types of seizures</strong></em></p>

<p>Seizures don't affect everyone the same way. The symptoms range from rapidly blinking eyes to someone going into a state where they stare blankly for a few minutes. Some people suffer a short interval of confusion. The more serious seizures involve falling to the ground with strong muscle contractions followed by a brief disorientation.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><em><strong>It can attack randomly</strong></em></p>

<p>There are two kinds of epilepsy &mdash; crytogenic and idiopathic. Crytogenic people with epilepsy have no clearly identifiable cause for their condition. Idiopathic people with epilepsy show no neurological disorder, but these sufferers have symptoms consistent with people who are officially diagnosed with epileptic syndromes.</p>
</li>
</ol>

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MCC Daily Tribune

National Epilepsy Awareness Month

National Epilepsy Awareness Month in November is an annual event that teaches people about epilepsy’s causes and symptoms. One in 26 people will be diagnosed with epilepsy at some point during their lifetime. Epilepsy is one of the least understood of all the neurological diseases, yet it is the fourth most common. During this month, many organizations join together to provide information about prevention, treatment, research, and resources to fight epilepsy.

 

HOW TO OBSERVE NATIONAL EPILEPSY AWARENESS MONTH

  1. Register for an epilepsy walk

    Communities all over the country will raise funds in a variety of ways including walks. One of the largest is the upcoming 2020 Epilepsy Walk at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. But wherever you choose to walk, remember that you are helping to fight a debilitating disease that affects people of all ages and ethnicities. So, put on your best sneakers and join your friends for a walk to benefit a very good cause.

  2. Add a name to a Remembrance Wall

    The Epilepsy Foundation has a Remembrance Wall where you can add the name of a loved one who has passed away from epilepsy or its related causes. You can also establish a sort of wall on your Facebook page or Twitter feed. Ask your friends, family, and anyone else you know who has been affected by epilepsy to sign in the memory of someone else. It's a beautiful and healing thing to do.

  3. Break out the purple.

    Each evening, let a purple light shine in your window. Tie purple ribbons around that old oak tree. Bake purple cupcakes and make purple pancakes. Wear a purple pin. Got enough ideas now?

 

5 THINGS YOU NEVER KNEW ABOUT EPILEPSY

  1. Anyone can have a seizure

    ​People with epilepsy are not the only ones to suffer seizures; your risk may increase if you have high fever, low blood sugar, are undergoing drug or alcohol withdrawal — or even if you're experiencing a concussion following head trauma.

  2. ​It might be random

    Two-thirds of people who suffer from epilepsy have no specific cause for their condition.

  3. ​Vincent Van Gogh may have had seizures

    ​Art and medical historians speculate that Van Gogh's use of yellow in his paintings resulted from xanthopsia, a condition where the sufferer sees life through a yellow filter. Xanthopsia was a side effect of digitales, a medication used to treat epilepsy.

  4. ​It's a myth that you can swallow your tongue during a seizure

    When someone has a seizure, carefully roll them on their side because if you try to put something in their mouth during a seizure, the person can injure their jaw, chip teeth or damage their gums.

  5. ​It can be fatal

    People with epilepsy who fall, lose consciousness, or have lengthy successions of seizures can die.

 

WHY NATIONAL EPILEPSY AWARENESS MONTH IS IMPORTANT

  1. It affects the brain

    Epilepsy is a neurological condition in the brain that triggers seizures. Doctors believe that a brain's uncontrolled increase of excess electrical activity hampers its normal functions — causing a short interruption to messages traveling back and forth within the brain. This interruption causes epileptic seizures.

  2. It causes different types of seizures

    Seizures don't affect everyone the same way. The symptoms range from rapidly blinking eyes to someone going into a state where they stare blankly for a few minutes. Some people suffer a short interval of confusion. The more serious seizures involve falling to the ground with strong muscle contractions followed by a brief disorientation.

  3. It can attack randomly

    There are two kinds of epilepsy — crytogenic and idiopathic. Crytogenic people with epilepsy have no clearly identifiable cause for their condition. Idiopathic people with epilepsy show no neurological disorder, but these sufferers have symptoms consistent with people who are officially diagnosed with epileptic syndromes.

Sarah Benedict
MCC Wellness Council
11/15/2021