National Epilepsy Day 2024: Significance, History, Epilepsy Cause & Symptoms

National Epilepsy Day is celebrated in India every year of November 17. The day was established by the Epilepsy Foundation to create awareness about epilepsy. Epilepsy is a chronic disorder of the brain that is characterized by recurrent seizures or fits. People all over the country take this day as an opportunity to learn more about seizures and how to tackle the situation. Other than National Epilepsy Day being celebrated on November 17, November is also observed as the National Epilepsy Awareness Month.

National Epilepsy Day 2024 Date

You may check below date of National Epilepsy day:

Check: other special days in November

National Epilepsy Day 2024 Overview

Significance of National Epilepsy Day

According to a report by the World Health Organization (WHO), around 50 million people across the world are suffering from epilepsy. Out of this 50 million, about 10 million people are from India who suffer from seizures associated with epilepsy. Although epilepsy is treatable, yet affected people do not receive the required treatment due to inadequate knowledge.

National Epilepsy Day is a special event which promotes awareness of epilepsy all over the country. The day offers a platform for the people to join together and acknowledge and highlight the problems faced by people with epilepsy, their families and carers.

Epilepsy Cause & Symptoms

Epilepsy is a chronic disorder of brain in which the person experiences recurrent seizures, also called as fits. These seizures are a result of sudden, excessive electrical discharges in the brain cells that we know as neurons. It can affect people of any age with each age group having its unique concerns and problems. The important thing to note is that the treatment of epilepsy should not be delayed as should start as soon as it is diagnosed. Below here are mentioned the causes and symptoms of epileptic seizure and the tips on how to help the person suffering from the seizure.

Also check: world toilet day

Causes:

These are the primary causes for epilepsy and seizures associated with it:

• Brain damage from perinatal or prenatal injury
• Congenital abnormalities
• Brain infections
• Stroke and brain tumors
• Head injury/ accidents
• Prolonged high fever during childhood

Symptoms

The following are the basic symptoms of epilepsy:

• Sudden twitching (uncontrollable jerking of arms and legs)
• Loss of consciousness
• Tingling sensation in arms or legs (feeling of pricking pins or needles)
• Stiffness in muscles of arms, legs or face

Tips to deal with Seizures

How to deal with a person suffering from seizure:

• Do not try to restrain the person during a seizure.
• Loosen any tight neck wear.
• Remove sharp objects or other harmful objects from the person with seizures.
• Do not put anything into the mouth of the person.
• Stay with the person until proper medical help reaches.

The National Health Portal had published the above information related epilepsy (cause, symptom and tips) on their website to make people more aware of the condition.

Check: world television day

History of National Epilepsy Day

The National Epilepsy Day is a campaign in India launched by the Epilepsy Foundation of India to reduce the prevalence of epilepsy in the country. The Epilepsy Foundation of India was established by Dr Nirmal Surya in 2009 and is located in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The Epilepsy Foundation is a non-profitable charitable organization that helps people with seizures in leading a fulfilling life. The organization also works towards changing people’s view about epilepsy.

National Epilepsy Day Celebration

National Epilepsy Day is celebrated to raise awareness about epilepsy in people. On this occasion, many government and non-government organization conduct events in observance of this day. You can check out what is going on in your area and encourage friends and family to get involved. Try to learn more about this condition and day through online resources. Share what you learn with others too.

FAQs