Epilepsy is a brain disorder that causes chronic seizures. It affects 2.5 million Americans, according to Teens Health. Seizures result from abnormal electrical activity in the brain that hinders communication between nerve cells. The effects on the body can be slight or severe, depending on how much of the brain is involved. Epilepsy has other effects as well.
Effects on Lifestyle
Automobile accidents can occur when a seizure strikes a driver with epilepsy. The Mayo Clinic reports that many states have limitations on licensing for individuals with epilepsy. If a patient's seizures are difficult to control, he may lose his driving privileges until the seizures cease for a specified period that ranges from months to years. These restrictions affect the lifestyles of epileptic patients and often dictate which jobs he can perform, where he can live and how often he travels.
Effects on Health
Depending on the severity of the condition, epilepsy affects a patient's health, causing complications in pregnancy and injuries related to falls and increasing risks of drowning. Patients with epilepsy are more than 15 times more likely to drown while swimming or bathing than people without the condition because of the instance of seizures. In addition, medications commonly used for seizure control can affect health by causing various side effects, such as weight gain, inflammation of certain organs and loss of bone density.
Personal Effects
An article published in the journal "Neuroepidemiology" reports that a study following 215 patients with epilepsy found that the condition affects a person’s opinion of himself as well as his view of his capabilities. An article in the "New York Times" highlights research by Dr. Orrin Devinsky of the Epilepsy Center at New York University that uncovered ongoing significant embarrassment among those with epilepsy.
References
- Teens Health: Epilepsy
- Mayo Clinic: Epilepsy Complications
- "Neuroepidemiology"; Effects of Epilepsy on Daily Functioning in Northern Ecuador; P. J. Farmer, M. Placencia, L. Jumbo, J. W. Sander and S. D. Shorvon.
- Mayo Clinic: Epilepsy Treatments and Drugs
- "New York Times": Easing the Seizures and Stigma of Epilepsy; Aliyah Baruchin; May 2008
