On the second Monday of every February, people join together to celebrate and highlight International Epilepsy Day.  Over 120 countries all over the world commemorate this day.  This is to raise awareness of the problems faced by people living with epilepsy, their families and their carers.  This day helps people living with the epilepsy to find a community of people like them who understand and can provide support. 

Epilepsy is the 4th most common neurological disorder.  The condition causes electrical activity in the brain to stop for a short time, leading to seizures.  Seizures are brief episodes of involuntary movement that may involve part of the body or the entire body.  They are sometimes accompanied by loss of consciousness.  Seizures can vary in frequency, from less than one per year to several per day.  Epilepsy is defined as having 2 or more unprovoked seizures.

Globally around 5 million people are diagnosed with epilepsy each year.  65 million people in the world live with epilepsy.  Every year more than one in 1000 people die suddenly due to epilepsy. 

The cause of the disease is still unknown in around 50% of cases globally.  Causes could be structural, genetic, infectious, metabolic, immune or unknown. Our medical negligence department has worked with many clients with epilepsy, the epilepsy often being a result of suffering a brain injury.  

Up to 70% of people living with epilepsy could be seizure free with antiseizure medicine.  After 2 years with no seizures, discontinuing antiseizure medicine can be considered, taking into account clinical, social and personal factors.   

With the right support, people can not only live with epilepsy but also thrive and make an important contribution to society. Indeed, many well known and important people over the years have been confirmed as having epilepsy or are thought to have had epilepsy, including: 

• Charles Dickens 

• Michelangelo  

• Vincent Van Gogh 

• Agatha Christie 

• Theodore Roosevelt 

• Leonardo da Vinci 

• Harriet Tubman 

• Napoleon Bonaparte 
  

International Epilepsy Day can be observed by: 

• Attending an event: You can use the hashtag #InternationalEpilepsyDay to find an event near you where you can receive information about the disease and listen to people living with epilepsy. 
• Donate: You can donate to the Epilepsy Foundation.  This money will help accelerate therapies for seizures and help fund research to find a cure for epilepsy. 
• Wear purple: Purple is the official awareness colour of epilepsy.

If you feel alone or would like further information, Epilepsy Action provides help and support for individuals living with epilepsy.  Their freephone number is 0808 800 5050.