According to the CDC, over 29,000 cases of childhood epilepsy are diagnosed each year. Over 2.9 million adults, and approximately 456,000 children in the U.S. have the disorder. Yet the National Institute for Neurological Disorders says that only half of these people living with it know why.  

So, what is epilepsy? Why is it important to know about? These are the questions that Purple Day hopes to answer by spreading awareness on March 26th. 

By medical definition, epilepsy is a chronic (ongoing) neurological (brain) disease characterized by recurring seizures– short episodes of involuntary movement that can involve part of or the entire body, and are sometimes accompanied by a loss of consciousness and control.  

They can last anywhere from 30 seconds to 3 minutes- which is not a lot of time to figure out what’s going on. More than five minutes for a seizure is extreme and dangerous. So, it’s important to stay alert and informed about them. 

Seizures are sudden bursts of electrical activity inside the brain. Nerve cells in the brain get too excited, for many reasons, and their flow of activity becomes disrupted- changing the way messages are sent between cells and causing uncontrollable movement.  Like an electrical storm inside the head.  

The reasons for a seizure, aka triggers, are varied- strokes, concussions, fevers, epilepsy, drug use, alcohol use, and even sleep deprivation. Genetic and environmental factors are also a leading cause of epilepsy and seizures.   

Most people assume rapidly flashing strobe lights are the only reason for a person with epilepsy to have a seizure, but that’s not true.  

It’s important to know that not all seizures are a result of epilepsy, and those who have a seizure or multiple seizures don’t necessarily have the disorder. There are other seizure disorders, classified by frequency of episodes and other factors.   

People with epilepsy are usually diagnosed after two seizures, being that they’re recurring, but in some cases, it can be identified with just one, or high levels of brain activity.  

There are several different kinds of seizures. Triggers, location in the brain where it started, and whether or not movement is involved classifies what kind they are.   

Here are the differences between the main types:  

Focal onset  

• Begin in one part of the brain  

• Have to do with level of awareness  

Generalized onset  

• Begin in both sides of the brain   

• Involve body movement. Ex: “tonic-clonic”/”grand mal” means that the body stiffens and jerks. 

There are also unknown onset seizures, when it’s unknown where a seizure started.  

Mrs. Sweda, an AP Psychology teacher at Pat-Med, shares that her 11-year-old daughter had what’s called absence seizures, where there’s a lapse in consciousness that seems like “blank staring.” But really, they’re seizures without body movement.   

Her family wasn’t aware of what was going on until they ran a test called an EEG (electroencephalography), a common test for recording electrical activity in the brain.  

When speaking about her daughter’s condition, she says that “Knowing someone has [epilepsy] is important.” 

If you identify someone experiencing a seizure, she advises, “Start a [timer]. When help comes, they’ll want to know.”   

This is because the length of a seizure can vary, so knowing if it prolonged for several minutes can determine its potential danger and be of help to medical personnel.

General first aid procedure for someone having a seizure goes as follows: 

1. Stay with the person until they’re awake and alert.
2. Ensure that the person is in a safe area away from potential dangers.
3.  If they fall onto the ground, place something soft underneath their head to protect it, and turn them onto their side if they’re not
4. Don’t try to restrain or move the person or put anything in their mouth.
5. Time the seizure and call 911 if it lasts more than 5 minutes.

It’s important to know that prior to a seizure there may be warning signs, like a person becoming confused or disoriented, having muscle twitches, becoming lightheaded or suddenly tired, and other symptoms. 

Liyah Trent-Kennedy, a current Pat-Med senior, was diagnosed with epilepsy around a year ago this March, at 16 years old.

She shares that “I personally think there are a lot of misconceptions about epilepsy, and just knowing the warning signs can be helpful, like if anybody in your life has [it]. It’s important to make sure that they’re okay and then to seek help before they start seizing.” 

To support those with epilepsy, many wear purple on Wednesday, March 26th, also known as Purple Day, to spread awareness about the condition to others who may not know much about it. People are encouraged to do their own research on the condition, particularly at online websites like the Epilepsy Foundation and CDC.gov. By debunking misconceptions about the disorder and learning about it, we can help those we know and respond better.