DID YOU KNOW:
People have had their parental rights terminated, been denied housing and have even been arrested for behavior related to their epilepsy.
Visit the Jeanne A. Carpenter Legal Defense Fund.
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» Speak Up, Speak Out – Advocacy Network
»Americans with Disabilities Act
Epilepsy in the African American Community
(NAPSM)-African Americans are learning more about epilepsy- a disease that many in the community are especially prone to developing. Epilepsy affects 350,000 African Americans, and one in 10 people in the U.S. will experience a seizure in his or her lifetime. The disease has a number of causes-including head injuries-and affects people of all ages and walks of life. The Epilepsy Foundation says the best way to deal with epilepsy is to better understand it, yet a number of myths and stigmas still surround the condition. For instance, despite the fact that 24,000 African Americans will be diagnosed with epilepsy this year, a recent survey found children with the disease are more likely to be picked on or bullied at school. To help, the Foundation offers these epilepsy facts:
Myth: Epilepsy has a spiritual- not a physical-cause.
Fact: Epilepsy is a medical condition and seizures are the outward sign. Seizures are caused by brief disturbances in the brain's electrical activity. Epilepsy is not a curse.
Myth: You should put a spoon, pencil, wallet or other object in the mouth during a seizure.
Fact: You should never put anything in a person's mouth while he or she is having a seizure. Doing so can cause injury to the teeth or gums. It is not true that you can swallow your tongue during a seizure.
Myth: Epilepsy is contagious.
Fact: You cannot catch epilepsy from or give it to someone else. Myth: Seizures are completely uncontrollable.
Fact: Through surgery, medication, diet or a combination of these, people with epilepsy can achieve full or partial control of seizures in about 85 percent of the cases.
"When people lack a basic understanding of seizures and how to respond to them, they tend to avoid and discriminate against those with the disorder," says Eric Hargis, president and CEO of the Epilepsy Foundation. Hargis's group recently partnered with actress Garcelle Beauvais- Nilon ("NYPD Blue," "The Jaimie Foxx Show") to debunk many of the myths surrounding epilepsy-and to encourage people with the condition to seek medical help. Efforts will include initiatives at local churches, African-American beauty salons and barber shops and public service announcements. For more information, visit www.epilepsyfoundation.org.
