The Purple Day of Epilepsy (26 March) is recognized worldwide to bring awareness about the millions who are suffering from this brain disease and break the stigma and discrimination faced by victims.
Symptoms include loss of awareness, movement issues, and sensory disturbances. Epilepsy correlates with physical problems, fractures, and heightened rates of anxiety and depression as it is unpredictable.
Epilepsy burdens 50 million worldwide, with 4-10 per 1000 having active seizures. Annually, 5 million new cases are diagnosed. Low and middle-income countries have a high rate of 139 per 100,000.
Epilepsy causes: structural, genetic, infectious, metabolic, immune, or unknown. Examples: prenatal trauma, genetic conditions, head injury, stroke, brain infections, genetic syndromes, and tumours.
Seizures can be controlled; 70% achieve freedom with antiseizure meds. Discontinue after 2 seizure-free years, weighing clinical, and personal factors. Aetiology and abnormal EEG are key recurrence predictors.
Preventing head injury, birth injury, and febrile seizures lowers risk. Stroke-related epilepsy can be reduced through cardiovascular methods. Eliminating parasites and infections can decrease epilepsy cases.