Myths & Statistics

Epilepsy in African Americans: Facts and Figures

• Out of more than 2.5 million Americans who have some form of epilepsy, more than 350,000 of them are African Americans.
• Out of about 181,000 new cases of epilepsy that are diagnosed each year, approximately 24,000 of those cases involve African Americans.
• African Americans are more likely to be diagnosed with epilepsy than Caucasians.
• It is estimated that epilepsy will develop in 22 percent of stroke patients. African Americans are twice as likely to suffer from a stroke as are Caucasians or Hispanics.

Dispelling Myths about Epilepsy

Myth: Epilepsy does not have a physical cause and is, therefore, beyond medical help.
Fact: Epilepsy is caused by a disturbance of electrical activity in the brain. In many cases, it can be successfully treated with medication or surgery and, in some childhood cases, by a special, medically-controlled diet.

Myth: Epilepsy is contagious.
Fact: You cannot catch epilepsy from or give it to someone else.

Myth: Seizures are painful.
Fact: Seizures are not in themselves painful. But some people may suffer bruising, burns, scrapes or other injuries from contact with harmful objects during a seizure. People may also experience painful headaches after the seizure ends.

Myth: You should put a spoon, or other objects in mouth of a person having a seizure.
Fact: Absolutely not! Putting any object in the mouth can cause injury to the teeth, gums and palate. It is not true that a person having a seizure can swallow their tongue.

Myth: People with epilepsy are not very smart.
Fact: Most people with epilepsy have the same range of intelligence and ability as people who do not have epilepsy. Slow speech, slow thinking and developmental delays are side effects of medications and brain injuries.

Myth: People with epilepsy are unable to participate in many activities.
Fact: Even people without epilepsy have limitations. Many people have already proven that people with epilepsy are capable of doing just about anything. For example: French cyclist Marion Clignet won an Olympic medal; Buddy Bell is currently the bench coach for the Cleveland Indians; and Englishman Andrew Halsey rowed across the Atlantic Ocean.