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International Epilepsy Day: Misconceptions and how Covid-19 affects the disorder
Updated On: 14 February, 2023 02:44 PM IST | Mumbai | Nascimento Pinto
How do you react when somebody has a seizure in a public place? Every year, International Epilepsy Day is celebrated on the second Monday of February and doctors believe there are many misconceptions around it. They suggest how you can recognise when somebody has epilepsy and how to help them
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In India, approximately 10 – 12 million people suffer from epilepsy. Image for representational purpose only. Photo Courtesy: istock
Every year, the second Monday of February is observed as International Epilepsy Day. This year, it falls on February 13 and the theme is “stigma”. Very often when a person suffers from a seizure people don’t know how to react. Furthermore, they are stigmatised and may often face ridicule or be at the other end of receiving help, even with a lot of people around them and this may be due to the lack of awareness.
So, what is epilepsy? According to Dr Jigyasha Sinha, consultant, paediatric neurologist and epileptologist, Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, epilepsy is “a disease of the brain where recurrent seizures occur due to disturbed electrical activity of the brain. It can be caused due to structural abnormality of the brain, genetic defects, metabolic derangements or even unknown reasons.” In India, it is estimated that at least 10 - 12 million people suffer from epilepsy, that means one patient for every thousand, according to Dr Neelu Desai, consultant, paediatric neurologist and epileptologist, PD Hinduja Hospital & MRC, Mahim. As far as children go, Sinha says, less than one per cent under the age of 17 are affected by it.
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