November is Epilepsy Awareness Month

Few medical conditions have carried the mystique or generated as much controversy as epilepsy. Coping with societal challenges can be the most difficult part of having epilepsy. November is Epilepsy Month, a time to promote awareness of epilepsy, the third most common neurological disorder, affecting approximately 2.5 million Americans. It has been estimated that 10% of the American population will experience a seizure in their lifetime. Every year there are nearly 181 thousand newly diagnosed epilepsy cases in the United States, and over 45 thousand of these are children under 15 years of age. Epilepsy is defined as the recurrence of two or more unprovoked seizures requiring long-term treatment with anti-epileptic (AE) medication.

New cases of epilepsy are most common among children, especially during the first year of life. Another peak of new cases occurs in the elderly. Treatment is usually a single medication. Important considerations when introducing therapy include age, gender, concomitant medical illnesses and medications. For example, elderly patients and pregnant women require modified treatments.

Up to 30% of all epilepsy cases can not be controlled with AE medications. Diagnosis and treatment of these patients is usually referred to a specialized epilepsy center, like the California Pacific Epilepsy Center, located at California Pacific Medical Center. The epilepsy team reviews all hospital findings to determine the area in the brain where the seizures originate. If the focus of the seizures cannot be determined, the patient may be a candidate for inpatient surgical evaluation.

The California Pacific Epilepsy Center provides patients with comprehensive care for epilepsy and epilepsy-related problems using state-of-the-art technology and resources to perform diagnostic procedures, medical management and surgical care for adolescents and adults. With new medical and surgical treatments, the California Pacific Epilepsy Center offers hope to patients who do not respond to standard medication and suffer the disabling stigma attached to epilepsy. The Epilepsy Center balances treatment of epilepsy symptoms and assistance with psychological, educational and vocational issues encountered by epilepsy patients and their families. Read more about the California Pacific Epilepsy Program