Five Things College Students Should Know About Epilepsy

Mary Beth Putz, a college student at the University of San Diego, spent the summer learning more about epilepsy. Here she shares the five things she thinks every college student should know.

Prevalence of Epilepsy 

There are approximately 65 million people in the world who have epilepsy (which put in context, is the same as the population of Great Britain!), and there are 150,000 new cases of epilepsy diagnosed each year in the United States alone.

A child can be diagnosed during the first year, which is generally the highest rate in children. Rates of epilepsy decrease after childhood, but increase once again around the age of 60 when other health problems such as stroke and Alzheimer’s disease can result in epilepsy.

Causes of Epilepsy

Epilepsy is a condition resulting from abnormal electrical activity in the brain that manifests itself in the form of seizures. Seizures can be caused by many things. Too much alcohol, too little sleep, stimulant drugs, low blood sugar, and infections are common causes of seizures.

Some of the most common known causes of epilepsy are head trauma, infections, brain tumors, stroke, and errors in the womb during development. Unfortunately, in approximately 7 out of 10 epilepsy cases, the direct cause of epilepsy and the seizures is unknown, though these are suspected to have a genetic link.

There are different types of epilepsy seizures.

As stated earlier, a seizure occurs when there is abnormal electrical activity in the brain, which can result in a variety of different types of seizures that can be broadly categorized as either generalized or partial seizures. Like the name predicts, generalized seizures begin with electrical or neuronal discharge throughout the entire brain, while partial seizures begin in just one area of the brain. Both include the more stereotypical uncontrolled body movements or jerking and loss of awareness or consciousness, but can also include staring spells and lip smacking.

Not all seizures are epileptic seizures.

Often, other spells can look like seizures but they are not epilepsy. Non-epileptic seizures or psychogenic events have a psychological cause that is often best treated without medication (the most common treatment for epileptic seizures). It is common for someone with epilepsy to also have psychogenic events, though it can be hard to tell the difference by simple observation. The best way to differentiate between the two is through the use of video-EEG where the electrical activity of the brain can be observed during an apparent seizure.

What to do if you witness someone having a seizure.

If you see someone having a seizure, the most important thing to do is to keep that person safe until the seizure ends. If possible, remove any sharp or hard objects nearby and lay the person on his or her side with something soft beneath the head, while timing the seizure. Length of a seizure can be crucial in the diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy. Do not try to restrain the person or put anything in the mouth, and be sure to call 911 if the seizure lasts longer than 5 minutes.