Can you live a normal life with epilepsy?

Most people with epilepsy live a full life. However, the risk of early death is higher for some. We know that the best possible seizure control and living safely can reduce the risk of epilepsy-related death.

Can you live a good life with epilepsy?

Many people with epilepsy can conduct a normal life. However, patients who have had epilepsy for a long time or whose epilepsy is difficult to control are at higher risk for unemployment. They may also need assistance in their daily life activities.

How long can you live with epilepsy?

These estimates were then compared with life expectancy in people of the same age and sex in the general population. Reduction in life expectancy can be up to 2 years for people with a diagnosis of idiopathic/cryptogenic epilepsy, and the reduction can be up to 10 years in people with symptomatic epilepsy.

How do you live normally with epilepsy?

Is it hard living with epilepsy?

From the fear of seizures and nasty falls to recurring anxiety and stress, living with epilepsy can be downright overwhelming at times. However, there are ways to manage, diminish and even prevent some of the effects epilepsy has on your day-to-day activities – without feeling as though you're missing out.

Living with Epilepsy: Ask Dr. Tricia Ting

What jobs can I not do with epilepsy?

People with epilepsy are successfully employed in a variety of jobs that might be considered high-risk: police officer, firefighter, welder, butcher, construction worker, etc. Epilepsy is a highly variable disorder and it is difficult to generalize about safety issues.

Should epileptics live alone?

Living independently with epilepsy is not without risk. These risks include a higher risk of accidents and premature death. Epilepsy has a considerable impact and significant social consequences. It can sometimes prevent someone from living alone or continuing to live independently.

How does epilepsy affect daily life?

People with epilepsy often experience changes in their quality of life such as less mobility, as well as the impact on learning, school attendance, employment, relationships, and social interactions.

Can epilepsy go away?

Treatment with medications or sometimes surgery can control seizures for the majority of people with epilepsy. Some people require lifelong treatment to control seizures, but for others, the seizures eventually go away. Some children with epilepsy may outgrow the condition with age.

Can a person with epilepsy work?

Many people with epilepsy are able to work and successfully carry out their job duties. Having occasional (or even fairly frequent) seizures may make your job hunt more challenging but not impossible. The better qualified you are for a position, the better your chances of success.

Is epilepsy a death sentence?

Each year, more than 1 in 1,000 people with epilepsy die from SUDEP. This is the leading cause of death in people with uncontrolled seizures.

Does epilepsy get worse as you age?

The incidence of any type of seizure increases substantially over the age of 60, commonly due to other neurological conditions such as dementia or stroke.

Can we marry a epilepsy person?

A: From a medical point of view, persons with epilepsy can marry. However, in some countries there have been laws and in others even now there are laws that prevent persons with epilepsy to marry. It is important that the would be spouse of a person with epilepsy should be aware of the situation.

What should epileptics avoid?

How does a person with epilepsy feel?

Some people have nausea or unusual feelings that are difficult to describe. These seizures may also result in difficulty speaking, involuntary jerking of a body part, such as an arm or a leg, and spontaneous sensory symptoms such as tingling, dizziness and seeing flashing lights.

Which famous person has epilepsy?

Vincent van Gogh suffered from seizures doctors believed were cause by temporal lobe epilepsy. Composer George Gershwin was diagnosed with epilepsy. Actress Margaux Hemingway had from epilepsy from the age of seven. Korn front man Jonathan Davis believes his epilepsy was induced by years of drug use.

What age does epilepsy usually start?

Epilepsy can begin at any time of life, but it's most commonly diagnosed in children, and people over the age of 65.

Why is epilepsy not curable?

They cannot stop a seizure that's already in progress, and they are not a cure for epilepsy. These medications are absorbed by your stomach. They then travel through your bloodstream to your brain. They affect neurotransmitters in a way that reduces the electrical activity that leads to seizures.

Can you fly a plane if you have epilepsy?

While most people with seizures can travel safely by airplanes, guidelines of the Aerospace Medical Association do recommend that people with uncontrolled seizures not travel by commercial airliner. An airline may ask for a letter from your doctor that you are okay to fly.

Does epilepsy make you lazy?

Epilepsy, seizures, and medication can affect how you feel both physically and emotionally. Seizures can cause injury or make you feel tired and 'out of sorts'. You may be quite relaxed about your epilepsy or it may make you stressed or depressed. All these feelings can affect your well-being, concentration or memory.

Does epilepsy affect IQ?

A case-control study conducted in North India demonstrated that children with generalized epilepsy have lower IQ scores than their controls with not epilepsy. [25] A linear decline in IQ is also seen among people who developed epilepsy.

Does epilepsy change your personality?

Many people with epilepsy experience disagreeable changes in their emotions, and the link between mood disorders and epilepsy has been observed for more than 2,000 years. While this link has been noticed for many years, the relationship between seizures and mood disorders has not been well understood until recently.

Is epilepsy classed as a disability?

Epilepsy is considered a disability when it greatly affects someone's ability to do everyday activities (such as concentrating or remembering things), over a long period of time.

Can a person with epilepsy drive?

In the U.S., 700,000 licensed drivers have epilepsy. If you have it, taking the wheel means balancing the need for independence against the need for safety. All states allow people with epilepsy to drive.

Is epilepsy a mental illness?

Epilepsy is not a mental illness. In fact, the vast majority of people living with epilepsy have no cognitive or psychological problem. For the most part, psychological issues in epilepsy are limited to people with severe and uncontrolled epilepsy.