Epilepsy Resources

 Data and Statistics

• Epilepsy is a common neurological condition that affects more than 3 million Americans.
• 1.2% of the US population has active epilepsy. This is about 3.4 million people with epilepsy nationwide: 3 million adults and 470,000 children.  
• The State of Texas reports 292,900 adults and children with active epilepsy. 
• 1 in 26 people in the United States will develop epilepsy and 
• about 1 out of 10 people may have a seizure during his or her lifetime. 

What is Epilepsy? 

•  Epilepsy, which is sometimes called a seizure disorder, is a disorder of the brain. 
• A person is diagnosed with epilepsy when they have had two or more seizures.

What is a Seizure? 

• A seizure is a short change in normal brain activity. Seizures are the main sign of epilepsy. 
• Some seizures can look like staring spells. Other seizures cause a person to fall, shake, and lose awareness of what’s going on around them.

What is an epileptologist? 

•  An epileptologist is a board-certified neurologist who specializes in treating epilepsy and seizures. Epileptologists have extra training and education in diagnosing and managing various kinds of seizures. They have a specific interest in epilepsy and devote most of their time and training to studying the condition.
   

What is an E.M.U.? 

•  An epilepsy monitoring unit (EMU) is a hospital inpatient unit that uses continuous electroencephalography (EEG) and video monitoring to evaluate, diagnose, and treat seizures. 

What is a Seizure Rescue Medication? 

• NAYZILAM® (midazolam) nasal spray https://www.nayzilam.com by UCB
• VALTOCO® - (diazepam) nasal spray https://www.valtocohcp.com by NEURELIS 

Helpful Websites: 

•  Medications and side effects: https://drugs.com 
• Glossary of terms: https://www.epilepsysparks.com/glossary 
• Research on epilepsy: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov