Five Lies about Epilepsy

1.     Epilepsy is caused by evil possession

Epilepsy is a disease just like any other kind of disease and with good management, a number of people will become seizure-free. The disease is caused by abnormal activation of some neurons in the brain.

2. Epilepsy is contagious

Some individuals think that touching or hugging someone with epilepsy might pass the illness from one person to the next. This is also a lie,  epilepsy is not contagious! 

3. Clenching of the teeth causes death or is a sign of impending death 

Those of us who have observed multiple seizures are well aware that this assertion is false.  

Teeth clenching describes the tonic phase of a generalized tonic-clonic seizure or a tonic seizure in which muscles in different parts of the body are contracted  for a few seconds.  The contraction may affect the muscles of the face as well, leading to clenching of the teeth. 

I have heard of scenarios in which some people have attempted to prevent teeth clenching by inserting a spoon, finger, or stick between the teeth of the patient, this has resulted in injury to both the patient and the one attempting to push things into the patient's mouth.

4. Epilepsy is a form of insanity therefore, people with epilepsy are incapable of making well- informed decision. 

Most people with  epilepsy are capable of making intelligent and well-informed decisions. The exceptions are periods of confusion during and after an attack and when significant cognitive damage co-exist with epilepsy. Epilepsy is like any other disease, people with epilepsy can live normal lives if they are well treated. By the way, people with psychiatric illnesses can live normal lives too. 

5. Eating certain foods, such as lizards, causes epilepsy.

This is not true either. Lizards are eaten as delicacies in some parts of the world, and it has not been shown that the incidence or prevalence of epilepsy is higher in those areas compared to non-lizard eating regions. .