Tuesday 5 March 2013

Epilepsy Facts!

Today for Epilepsy Awareness month I have some facts for you!!! Exciting ,I know 

All information is from Epilepsy Canada so check it out if you would like to learn more!

not sure why this picture looks kind of stretched...sorry :oP


Information from Epilepsy Canada

  • Epilepsy is a physical condition characterized by sudden, brief changes in how the brain works. It is a symptom of a neurological disorder - a disorder that affects the brain and shows itself in the form of seizures.
  • Epilepsy is a disorder, not a disease; it is not contagious.
  • Approximately 0.6% of the Canadian population has epilepsy. This includes those who take anticonvulsant drugs or who had a seizure within the past 5 years.
  • Due to the stigma surrounding epilepsy and the prejudice with which society has historically treated people with epilepsy, many with the disorder are reluctant to admit it or to seek treatment. Thus the prevalence of epilepsy is likely much higher.
  • Each day in Canada, an average of 42 people learn that they have epilepsy.
  • Each year an average of 15,500 people learn they have epilepsy; 44% are diagnosed before the age of 5, 55% before the age of 10, 75-85% before age 18 and 1% of children will have recurrent seizures before age 14. 1.3% are over the age of 60. This means that about 60% of new patients are young children and senior citizens.
  • In approximately 50% of cases of childhood epilepsy, seizures disappear completely.
  • In 50 - 60% of cases, the cause of epilepsy is unknown. In the remainder, the following causes are most common:
    • brain tumour and stroke
    • head trauma of any type. The more severe the injury, the greater the chance of developing epilepsy
    • injury, infection, or systemic illness of the mother during pregnancy
    • brain injury to the infant during delivery may lead to epilepsy
    • aftermath of infection (meningitis, viral encephalitis)
    • poisoning, from substance abuse of alcoholism
  • Events that may trigger seizures include:
    • Stress
    • Poor nutrition
    • Missed medication
    • Flickering lights
    • Skipping meals
    • Illness, fever and allergies
    • Lack of sleep
    • Emotions such as anger, worry, fear and others
    • Heat and/or humidity
  • The major form of treatment is long-term drug therapy. Drugs are not a cure and can have numerous, sometimes severe, side effects.
  • Brain surgery is recommended only when medication fails and when the seizures are confined to one area of the brain where brain tissue can be safely removed without damaging personality or function.


10 comments:

  1. Super pretty - and a great cause!

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  2. Agreed with Maria's Nail Art. Beautiful mani. Good social cause.

    Clapping in New York!

    :)

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  3. I like this manicure.. nice and simple. :) more great info.. thanks again for sharing!
    Rapid breathing can also cause seizures in people with petit mal. Also - and this I find weird but interesting, I read somewhere a long time ago that some individual's seizures are triggered by doing math. Weird, huh? I specifically remember one incident in high school when I started having a seizure during a math test, so I wonder sometimes if that was the trigger.

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  4. My poor doggie has epilepsy, this is a nice cause. I really like this manicure too, your polka dots are perfect.

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    1. I'm glad you said this, because my boyfriend's dog has it too and is on a lot of drugs. Interestingly, they found he's got some thyroid pathology and his medication for that has helped his seizures. He also seems to be triggered by weather/temperature.

      I saw him have one once and it was scary. He looked like he was being attacked by demons =(

      This is a great cause and thanks for posting the information! I'm always glad to learn something AND see great nails =D

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    2. Poor puppies. I'd be soooo upset if mine had a seizure

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    3. It's really hard because there's nothing you can do except be there for them and wait for it to pass :( We have no idea what the cause is, but all the vet told us that if it becomes more frequent then they will have to put her down. Luckily it hasn't. But the look in their eyes when she seizes up is just completely heart breaking. And this is a dog, I can't imagine how terrifying it is to see a family or friend go through the same.

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  5. very pretty! love the dots.

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  6. My first mani for the cause will be up tomorrow!! It's making me feel all nostalgic for our "homework" days!!! Cute cute dotticure!!

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  7. cute :D
    a boy very dear to me had bad head trauma which caused epilepsy so i welcome these posts

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Thank you for any comments. I read each one and love the feedback