November is Epilepsy Awareness Month

Communitas is a nonprofit that provides Direct Support Professional assistance in Poulsbo, Silverdale, Bremerton, and Port Orchard for adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities.

People with developmental disabilities are at a significantly higher risk of seizures – the likelihood of seizures increases with the severity of the disabilities.  However, having a seizure does not mean that someone has epilepsy.  One out of 10 people will have just one seizure in their lifetime.  At least two unprovoked seizures are usually required to be diagnosed with epilepsy.

What’s the difference between Epilepsy and Seizures?

Seizures are a sudden disturbance in electrical activity of the brain, resulting in change of movement, consciousness, behavior, speach, or thinking.

Epilepsy is the tendency to have recurrent seizures.

3 primary types of Seizures:

Tonic-Clonic (grand mal) - Stiffening and jerking, loss of consciousness; body becomes stiff and rigid then jerks and convulsions start. Temporarily suspended or altered breathing is common. Only lasts a few minutes followed by confusion or sleepiness.

Absence (petit mal) - characterized by a blank stare/look of daydreaming, lasts only a few seconds. May include chewing or blinking. Awareness is lost but returns quickly.

Complex Partial - may begin with a trance-like stare and random activities are common such as picking at clothing or lip-smacking as well as twitching in a certain area of the body (usually the same set of actions occur with each seizure). The person is generally unresponsive. Only lasts a few minutes.

For more information, please visit: National Epilepsy Awareness Month | Epilepsy Foundation