About Seizure Disorders
People with seizure disorders have sudden episodes due to an abnormal electrical discharge in their brain that can cause a change in consciousness, movement, or sensation. Epilepsy is a disorder that disturbs brain function and causes repeated seizures.
Seizures are the main symptom of epilepsy. The word "seizure" comes from a Latin word that means "to take possession of," and that's how many people who experience a seizure describe it.
Epilepsy is not contagious, and it is not caused by mental illness or retardation. Most people with seizure disorders have normal or above-average intelligence.
Epilepsy: widespread and treatable
Around 5 to 10 people in every 1,000 have epilepsy—up to 2 million people in the United States alone. Epilepsy affects people of all ages, including children.
Famous people who are known or rumored to have had epilepsy include:
- Russian writer Dostoyevsky
- philosopher Socrates
- military general Napoleon
- Alfred Nobel (who established the Nobel Prize)
- mystery writer Agatha Christie
- and more recently, Danny Glover is known to have epilepsy
Epilepsy can be a lifelong illness. The good news is that most people can control their seizures with proper medical treatment.
