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Recognizing November 2015 as Epilepsy Awareness Month, in honor of individuals living with Epilepsy, their families, and those working to improve their quality of life.
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WHEREAS, Epilepsy is a chronic disorder where people suffer from recurrent, unprovoked seizures. The seizures are triggered by abnormal electrical activity in the brain that results in involuntary changes in body movement, behavior, sensation and, in some cases, loss of consciousness; and
WHEREAS, Epilepsy is more than just seizures as it often has other accompanying conditions associated with it. Oftentimes, poor memory, mood issues, depression and anxiety go hand in hand with issues associated with epilepsy and need to be managed and thought of when caring for an individual with epilepsy; and
WHEREAS, Seizures can be caused as a result of a stroke, brain tumor, traumatic brain injury, loss of oxygen to the brain, some genetic disorders, neurological diseases, prenatal injury or brain infections. Even so, according to the Mayo Clinic, about half of diagnosed epilepsy cases have no known cause; and
WHEREAS, Up to 18% of people with epilepsy die from Sudden Unexplained Death in Epilepsy; and varies from one to nine of every 1,000 candidates for epilepsy surgery; and
WHEREAS, Annually, there are 150,000 new cases of epilepsy diagnosed in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it is estimated that 2.3 million adults in the United States have epilepsy. 30 to 40 percent will live with active seizures because treatments do not work; and
WHEREAS, One in 26 people in the U.S. will develop epilepsy at some point in their lifetime; and
WHEREAS, For many people with epilepsy, seizures can be effectively reduced or eliminated by medication, devices, dietary or other therapies and surgery; however, referrals to epilepsy centers for surgery can take 15 years or more; and
WHEREAS, Children and older adults are the fastest-growing se...
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