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On the occasion of International Epilepsy Day, the Epilepsy France association wishes to raise awareness among the general public to fight against the prejudices of this disease.
Since 2015 now the second Monday of February, which this year will fall on February 14, marks Epilepsy Day. Set up by the International Bureau for Epilepsy (IBE) and the International League Against Epilespy (ILAE), this day, organized in 146 countries last year, serves to raise awareness and inform the population about a neurological disease which affects 50 million people worldwide according to the WHO. In France, more than 650,000 people are affected.
Epilepsy isn’t just about seizures
Figures that we suspect little precisely because we do not talk enough about this disease. This is also the theme chosen by the campaign for this day organized in France by the association Epilepsie France.
Called “Epilepsy, let’s talk about it!”, the campaign aims to raise awareness of the disease and combat the prejudices that surround it. “Because the vast majority of people think that epilepsy comes down to sometimes spectacular convulsive seizures”, denounces the press release. And yet epilepsy can be manifested by other visible signs such as: tremors, involuntary movements, muscle rigidity or falls, but also less visible signs such as sudden absences, memory loss, concentration or auditory hallucinations.
A lack of knowledge of the disease which sometimes causes a stigmatization of the people who suffer from it. The association gives as an example that of a “child whose “absences” make people think wrongly that he is constantly in the moon, or that he is not making an effort,” or even of an adult: “adult whose colleagues say he/she is slow and unfocused in his/her work…”
A delay in diagnosis due to lack of information
This poor information around epilepsy and these different forms of manifestation contributes to another consequence than prejudice: the delay in diagnosis. The organizers of this day in France take the opportunity to ask that parents, teachers and the general public be properly trained in order to better know how to detect the signs. “Many testimonies of adults whose epilepsy was diagnosed late realize that their disease had been present for many years when they recall previous situations in their lives: difficult school career, learning difficulties, slowness, clumsiness. ..”
Better knowledge of the disease would not only reduce the stigmatization of patients, but also allow earlier diagnosis and better management, which could save patients from difficult situations.
To spread the word, Epilepsie France is organizing on February 14, public conferences broadcast live with testimony from patients, caregivers and interviews with neurologist doctors.
In the regions several events are planned such as: meetings with the public, information stands in towns, schools, hospital services, purple illuminations of town halls and historical monuments. To find out more visit the website Epilepsy France.